SANTA     CRUZ 


Prof.  Benjamin  H.  Lehman     > 


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A  JOURNAL 


OF 


AMERICAN    ETHNOLOGY  AND 
ARCHAEOLOGY 


EDITOR 


J.  WALTER    FEWKES 


VOL.  IV 


BOSTON  AND   NEW  YORK 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND   COMPANY 

®&e  Ktoersifce  press,  Cambridge 

1894 


s/ 


ABE   GRATEFULLY    DEDICATED    TO    THE    MEMORY   OF 

MRS.  MARY  HEMENWAY 


CONTENTS  AND   LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


A  Group  of  Snake  Dancers  .         .         .         .         .         .  .     '    .     Frontispiece 

INTRODUCTION •        •        •  3 

THE   SNAKE   CEREMONIALS   AT  WALPI. 

FIRST  DAY  (YUN'-LA,  ASSEMBLY) ..        ...  13 

MAKING  OF  THE  CHARM  LIQUID  (NA"-KU-YI) -        .  15 

THE  DRY  PAINTING  OR  SAND  MOSAIC  OF  THE  ANTELOPES  ......  17 

Sand  Mosaic  of  the  Antelope  Priests .  18 

Cylinder 20 

Heads  of  the  Male  and  Female  Lightning  ........  21 

Sand  Mosaic  or  Altar  of  the  Antelopes .  ,  .22 

Stone  Implements  of  the  Antelope  Altar 23 

Stick  from  Antelope  Altar .  .24 

SECOND  DAY  (CUC-TA-LA,  FIRST  CEREMONIAL  DAY)         .        .        .        .        .        .  25 

Hand  representing  Length  of  Ca-kwd-pa-ho(s)  ........  25 

Prayer-Stick  (Pa"-ho) 27 

THE  SIXTEEN  SONGS  CEREMONY 28 

Great  O'-mow-uh  Pipe .32 

K£-kap-ti  leaving  the  Kiva         ...........  35 

Jar  in  which  the  Snakes  are  kept  ..........  37 

THIRD  DAY  (LUC-TA"-LA,  SECOND  CEREMONIAL  DAY) 37 

Snake-Whip 38 

Position  of  the  Priests  when  the  Pit- ho (s)  were  given  to  the  Snake  Chief  .  .  .39 

FOURTH  DAY  (PAIC-TA-LA,  THIRD  CEREMONIAL  DAY) 41 

Ho-kd-na-ma-na,  or  Butterfly  Virgin  Slab 43 

Pat'-ne 43 

Snake  Hunters  descending  the  South  Trail  ........  45 

FIFTH  DAY  (NA-LUC'-TA-LA,  FOURTH  CEREMONIAL  DAY) 45 

A-wa-ta-n£-tci  of  the  Antelope  Kiva  ..........  47 

A-wa-ta-nd-tci  of  the  Snake  Kiva  ..........  48 

SIXTH  DAY  (Cuc-T^-LA,  FIRST  CEREMONIAL  DAY) 49 

Kd-pe-li,  the  Snake  Chief 50 

Cross-Shaped  P*-ho  Stick 51 

SEVENTH  DAY  (KO-MOK-TO-TO-KYA) 52 


vi  CONTENTS  AND  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

MAKING  THE  SAND  MOSAIC  OF  THE  SNAKE  PRIESTS 53 

Sand  Mosaic  of  the  Snake  Priests 54 

Snake  Bandoleer 57 

The  Snake  Chief's  Pipe 58 

The  Snake  Charm  Altar 59 

Basket  in  which  the  Snake  Charm  Liquid  is  made          ......         60 

Pellet  of  Clay  from  Snake  Bandoleer 61 

DRAMATIZATION  IN  THE  SNAKE  KIVA         .        .        .        .        .'      .        .        .        .        61 

EIGHTH  DAY  (TO-TO-KYA,  SLEEPS)        .        .        ...        ...        •        .        .65 

Kilt  of  the  Antelope  Priests    .         .         .         .         .         .  '      .         .         .   '     .     <•    .         66 

DRAMATIZATION  AND  SIXTEEN  SONGS  CEREMONY          .        .  .        .        .        .67 

THE  ANTELOPE  DANCE        .        .        .        .        .        .        *        .      -\        .        .        .        71 

Snake  Pa-ho       .        ....         .        .        .        .        ,        .     .   .        .     ...     71 

NINTH  DAY  (TI-KE-VE-NI,  DANCE  DAY)    .        .        .        .        «        ...        .        74 

THE  SNAKE  RACE    .        .        .        .        .       •.       ..        .        .        *  .'      ..        .74 

DRAMATIZATION  IN  THE  SIXTEEN  SONGS  CEREMONY         .        .        .        .  .        76 

Position  of  the  Celebrants  of  the  Dramatization  Ceremony         .         .         .         .         .76 

Decorations  of  the  Body,  Arm,  and  Leg  of  the  Snake  Boy     .        .        .        .        .         77 

Snake  Kilt          .        .        .       ..        .        .        .         .        .        .         ,        .        .         .79 

WASHING  THE  SNAKES        .....        .        .  .     ..       .        .        .        .        81 

Bowl  used  in  Washing  the  Snakes      .         .       '  „>        .        .        .        .        .        .         .83 

PUBLIC  CEREMONY  OF  THE  SNAKE  DANCE         . 87 

Ki-si  .       -.        .        ......        .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .     88 

Chief  of  the  Antelope  Priests          .        .        .        .        .         .        .        .        .        .        88 

Embroidered  Cloth  attached  to  the  Belt  of  the  Antelopes          .        .        .        .         .90 

Wristlet  of  the  Antelopes        .         .         .       • .       • 90 

The  Snake  Chief  taking  down  the  A-wa-ta-iuC-tci        .         .         .         .         .         ...     91 

Circuits  made  by  Antelope  and  Snake  Priests  on  leaving  the  Plaza         .         .         .         94 
Snake  Priests  after  drinking  the  Emetic     .       :  .        ...         .         .  ,     ' .         .         .94 

DISMANTLING  OF  THE  SAND  MOSAIC  IN  THE  MON'-KIVA          .        ...        .        .        95 

DAYS  SUBSEQUENT  TO  THE  DANCE 96 

TENTH  DAY  (OV-EK'-NI-WA)  PURIFICATION  OF  THE  SNAKE  PRIESTS        ...        97 

Nu-f-Ti-WA       .        .        .        ....       •.        .        .  ^ 97 

MELODIES  OF  THE  SNAKE  DANCE        .        ....        .        .        .        .        .        .        98 

SNAKES  USED  IN  THE  CEREMONY    .        .        . 101 

LEGEND  OF  Tf-YO,  THE  SNAKE  HERO         .        .       •.  .        .        .        .       106 

INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  MYTH      .        v       . 119 

BIBLIOGRAPHY      ....        .        . 124 

OUTLINE  MAP  SHOWING  THE  POSITION  OF  TUSAYAN    •  .        .  126 


£outf)toc£trai 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS   AT   WALPI 

BY  J.  WALTER   FEWKES 

ASSISTED   BY 

A.  M.  STEPHEN   AND  J.  G.  OWENS 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  ceremonials  of  the  Hopi  Indians  in  the  summer  of  1891  have 
already  been  described  in  the  second  volume  of  this  journal,  in  which 
the  author  promised  to  lay  before  the  scientific  world  his  studies,  and 
those  of  his  assistants,  of  the  celebrated  Snake  Dance.  In  the  present 
volume  it  has  seemed  proper  to  publish  what  we  know  of  this  observ- 
ance as  a  contribution  to  a  knowledge  of  the  most  weird,  if  not  the 
most  interesting,  events  in  the  ceremonial  proceedings  of  this  strange 
people.1 

It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  Mrs.  Mary 
Hemenway,  of  Boston,  whose  generosity  in  advancing  the  cause  of 
original  research  in  American  ethnology  and  archaeology  is  well 


1  The  present  article  is  one  of  a  series 
of  which  the  following  have  been  pub- 
lished :  — 

A  Few  Summer  Ceremonials  at  the 
Tusayan  Pueblos,  by  J.  Walter  Fewkes. 
Journal  of  American  Ethnology  and 
Archaeology,  vol.  ii.  No.  1. 

The  Ld-la-kon-ti ;  A  Tusayan  Cere- 
mony, by  J.  Walter  Fewkes  and  J.  G. 
Owens.  American  Anthropologist ,  April, 
1892.  (September  observance  —  a  wo- 
man's ceremonial.) 

The  Mam-zrdu-ti,  by  J.  Walter  Fewkes 
and  A.  M.  Stephen.  American  Anthro- 
pologist^ October,  1892.  (October  obser- 
vance—  a  woman's  ceremonial.) 

The  Na-dc-nai-ya,  by  J.  Walter  Fewkes 


and  A.  M.  Stephen.  The  Journal  of 
American  Folk -Lore,  July-September, 
1892.  (November  quadrennial  ceremony.) 

The  Pd-lu-lu-kon-ti,  by  J.  Walter 
Fewkes  and  A.  M.  Stephen.  The  Jour- 
nal of  American  Folk -Lore,  October- 
December,  1893.  (February  observance 
—  a  Snake  ceremony.) 

The  Wal'-pi  Flute  (Le-len-tu),  the  Po- 
wd-mu  (February),  and  the  So-yaVun-a 
(December)  ceremonials  have  been  studied, 
and  will  be  described  later.  The  Pd-lil- 
lii-kon-ti  is  of  special  interest  in  the  study 
of  the  Snake  Dance.  The  Wal'-pi  Flute, 
from  its  relation  to  the  ceremonials  de- 
scribed in  this  memoir,  will  be  made  the 
subject  of  an  extensive  article. 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

known  wherever  these  sciences  are  cultivated,  and  whose  unwearied 
interest  in  the  Hopi  Indians  has  been  the  inspiration  of  this  work. 

The  author  must  reiterate  his  obligations  to  his  friend  Mr.  T.  V. 
Keam.  Without  his  aid  much  which  is  here  recorded  could  not  have 
been  observed,  and  the  debt  which  American  ethnologists  owe  to  his 
enlightened  interest  in  this  people,  with  whom  he  has  lived  for  many 
years  in  close  commercial  relations,  is  very  great.  During  these  studies 
the  author  was  accompanied  by  his  lamented  assistant,  the  late  J.  G. 
Owens,  references  to  whose  help  are  found  on  many  of  the  following 
pages.  To  this  fearless  investigator,  who  lost  his  life  in  the  cause  of 
American  archaeology  at  the  ruins  of  Copan,  the  author  owes  much 
more  than  this  brief  reference  would  indicate. 

The  difficulties  besetting  the  path  of  the  student  of  the  Hopi  cere- 
monials are  very  great,  although  working  under  exceptional  advan- 
tages with  the  full  confidence  of  the  priests.  It  is  impossible  for  one 
observer  to  be  in  two  sacred  chambers  or  kiva(s)  at  the  same  time,  and 
the  complete  description  of  episodes  of  the  ceremonials,  such  as  the 
deposit  of  the  offerings  in  distant  shrines  and  the  foot-races  going  on 
in  the  plain  simultaneously  with  kiva  observances,  would  necessitate 
several  assistants  to  study  them  exhaustively  in  detail. 

While  the  agreeable  work  of  writing  this  memoir  has  fallen  upon 
the  editor  of  this  journal,  the  help  rendered  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Stephen 
has  been  so  great  that  his  name  is  placed  at  the  head  of  this  article 
with  that  of  the  author.  The  legend  of  the  Snake  Hero  is  by  his 
pen,  and  the  secret  observances  were  noted  and  discussed  by  both  in 
order  to  verify  each  other's  work  and  secure  all  possible  accuracy. 

It  has  not  seemed  well  to  rely  too  much  on  the  testimony  of  partici- 
pants for  a  knowledge  of  these  observances,  or  an  explanation  of  their 
meaning.  Most  difficult  of  all  is  the  deciphering  of  the  significance  of 
the  whole  or  parts  of  the  observances,  and  the  varied  interpretations 
given  by  the  priests  show  that  in  some  instances  at  least  we  should  not 
give  too  much  weight  to  individual  testimonies.  The  most  trustworthy 
explanations  must,  it  is  believed,  result  from  comparative  studies,  which 
ought  to  be  extended  far  beyond  the  limits  of  Tusayan.  The  object 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

of  this  article  is  to  record  observations  which  were  made  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Hemenway  expedition. 

The  ceremony  in  1893  began  on  August  6,  and  was  studied 
throughout  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Stephen  and  J.  Walter  Fewkes.  Messrs. 
Julian  Scott,1  F.  H.  Lungren,  and  W.  K.  Fales  were  admitted  to  the 
secret  ceremonials  of  the  Mon'-kiva,  and  were  at  our  request  initiated 
into  the  Antelope  Fraternity.  The  attendance  at  the  open  dance,  on 
the  culminating  day  of  the  ceremony,  was  about  the  same  as  in  1891, 
and  the  other  American  spectators  made  no  effort  to  enter  the  kiva(s) 
during  the  secret  performances.  This  was  in  marked  contrast  to  the 
actions  of  some  of  the  white  visitors  in  1891.  While  the  present  article 
is  in  the  main  a  description  of  the  Snake  Dance  of  1891,  several  refer- 
ences to  the  presentation  in  1893  are  likewise  introduced.  The  two 
observances  were  marvelously  alike,  even  in  details,  but  the  studies  in 
1893  were  necessary  to  substantiate  that  fact.  The  certainty  of  the 
Hopi  ritual,  as  ceremonially  carried  out  in  two  successive  performances, 
gives  a  good  idea  of  its  conservatism,  and  points  to  a  belief  that  inno- 
vations have  made  slow  progress  in  their  introduction.  The  time,  how- 
ever, when  the  ceremonial  system  of  the  Hopi  will  suffer  disintegration 
and  ultimate  destruction  is  not  far  away.  The  death  of  the  old  Ante- 
lope priests  will  have  a  most  important  influence  in  this  modification, 
although  several  of  the  younger  men  are  still  as  conservative  as  their 
"  elder  brothers."  The  present  records  were  made  none  too  soon  for 
a  scientific  knowledge  of  this  most  primitive  aboriginal  observance. 

1  Mr.  Scott  has  painted  one  of  the  colored  plates  which  accompanies  this  memoir. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS   AT  WALPL 


THE  Hopituh  or  Village  Indians  of  Tusayan  celebrate  every  two 
years  a  weird  ceremonial  called  the  Snake  Dance.  This  is  performed 
in  the  villages  Wal'-pi,  Mi-con'-in-o-vi,  Cuno-pa-vi,  and  0-rai-bi,  alter- 
nating with  the  Le-len-tu,  or  Flute  Observance.  It  does  not  occur  on 
the  same  year  in  all  of  the  four  villages  mentioned,  but  every  year 
there  is  a  presentation  of  this  weird  rite  in  one  or  the  other.  Mi-con'- 
in-o-vi  and  Wal'-pi  observe  their  Snake-Antelope  ceremony  the  same 
year,  and  Cuno-pa-vi  on  the  alternate  year.  The  Snake  and  Flute 
societies,  however,  never  perform  their  respective  dramas  the  same 
year  in  the  same  village.1 

The  present  article  deals  wholly  with  the  presentation  of  the  Snake 
observance  in  Wal'-pi,  and  is  intended  as  a  basis  for  further  compara- 
tive studies  of  the  same  rite  in  the  other  villages.  That  this  ceremony 
in  other  pueblos  of  the  Tusayan  province  differs  in  details  from  that 
at  Wal'-pi  is  probably  true,  so  that  statements  made  in  the  description 
of  the  presentation  on  the  East  Mesa  cannot  be  regarded  as  necessa- 

1  There  is  a  considerable  literature  of  ful  field  for  scientific  research  in  many 

the  Hopi  Snake  Dance,  as  will  be  seen  by  ways. 

the  list  of  references  in  the  bibliography.          The  letters  used  in  spelling  Hopi  words 

Most  of   these   publications  refer  to  the  have  the  following  sounds  :  a,  like  a  in 

Snake  Dance  at  Wal'-pi.    We  have  a  short  far  ;  a,  as  in  what ;  e,  as  a  in  fate ;  i,  as 

description  of  the  ceremony  at  Mi-con'-in-  in  pique  ;  0,  as  in  note  ;  u,  as  in  rule ;  $, 

o-vi  by  Mindeleff,  and  much  MS.  mate-  as  in  but ;  #,  as  in  French  tu  ;  p  and  b 

rial  on  the  Cund-pa-vi  presentation.  sounds  indifferentiated  ;  t  and  d  indistin- 

The  O-rai-bi  celebration,  which  we  may  guishable,  but  like  compound  of  d  in  dare, 

expect  to  find  the  most  primitive  of  all,  t  in  ten  ;  tc,  like  ch  in  chink ;  c,  like  sh 

has  thus  far  escaped  the  attention  of  scien-  in  shall ;  ft,  like  ng  in  syncope  ;    v,  like 

tine  men.    This  village  offers  a  most  fruit-  English  v,  with  faint  b  and  p  sounds. 


8         THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

rily  true  of  the  others.  Not  until  the  details  of  all  are  completely 
worked  out  and  published  can  we  hope  to  have  an  adequate  idea  of 
this  subject,  and  be  able  to  enlarge  our  comparisons  with  kindred 
ceremonials  in  other  parts  of  the  New  World,  especially  Mexico  and 
Central  America. 

Extensive  work,  with  many  new  observations,  has  been  done  upon 
the  Cu  no-pa- vi  Snake  Dance,  but  as  the  0-rai-bi  presentation  is  yet  to 
be  witnessed,  it  has  seemed  best  to  postpone  publication  of  the  former 
for  another  article.  There  are  several  gaps  in  our  knowledge  of  the 
Cu  no-pa- vi  rite  which  necessitate  new  investigations.  Of  these  the 
character,  significance,  and  object  of  the  prayers,  and  the  wording  of 
the  same,  are  not  the  least  important.  So  large  is  the  material  dealing 
with  variants  of  this  ceremonial  which  has  been  collected  among  peo- 
ple of  other  linguistic  stocks,  that  a  consideration  of  their  resemblance 
must  likewise  be  passed  by  for  the  present. 

While  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  is  yet  too  early  to  decipher  the 
meaning  of  this  weird  rite,  even  with  the  information  which  we  now 
have,  there  are  certain  conclusions  which  are  wellnigh  demonstrated. 
The  observance  is  undoubtedly  a  rain  ceremony,  in  which  Snake  wor- 
ship takes  a  subordinate  part.  It  dramatizes  more  or  less  imperfectly 
portions  of  a  legend  of  Ti-yo,  the  Snake  youth,  and  the  first  Hopi 
people  who  came  to  Tusayan.  Perhaps  we  are  attempting  too  much 
in  trying  to  give  any  simple  cause  for  its  biennial  repetition.  Its  true 
meaning  is  probably  lost,  and  can  only  be  resurrected  by  comparative 
ceremoniology.  While  each  and  every  episode  may  have,  as  it  undoubt- 
edly does,  a  special  meaning,  the  reason  for  the  whole  ceremony  lies 
far  back  in  the  past,  and  has  become  more  or  less  obscured  by  the 
progress  of  time.  The  priests  perform  the  Snake  Dance  because  their 
forefathers  did,  and  these  in  turn  derived  a  knowledge  of  it  from 
others.  Who  the  originators  were  and  why  they  performed  it  are 
questions  which  the  present  Snake  and  Antelope  priests  cannot  answer. 
When  asked  its  meaning  they  repeat  their  stories  of  the  adventures 
of  Ti-yo,  who,  like  Quetzalcoatl,  wandered  into  the  house  of  the 
Snakes.  Out  of  a  maze  of  speculation,  distorted  legends,  and  modi- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  9 

fications,  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  arrive  at  true  explanations  ;  but 
by  comparisons,  however,  we  may  be  able  to  get  some  clue  to  the 
meaning  of  the  Snake  Dance. 

The  songs  are  the  traditional  melodies  which  bring  the  rain,  and 
the  ceremonials  are  consecrated  by  antiquity,  and  venerated  as  most 
efficacious  for  that  purpose.  These  people  hold  them  as  essential 
because  their  ancestors  have  done  so,  in  their  belief,  from  the  birth  of 
time.  The  question  of  origin  further  than  this  has  not  occupied  their 
attention,  and  I  believe  they  have  no  adequate  solution  of  the  problem. 
It  would  be  strange  if  they  had  ;  and  in  that  they  are  not  exceptional, 
for  the  origin  and  reason  of  ceremonials  among  white  men  are  lost  in 
antiquity. 

The  primary  object  of  this  memoir  is  to  record  the  details  of  the 
presentation  ere  this  curious  survival  passes  away  forever,  as  it  un- 
doubtedly will  in  a  few  years. 

The  celebration  of  the  Snake  Dance  in  1891  lasted  nine  days,  begin- 
ning on  Thursday,  August  13th,  and  continuing  until  Friday  of  the 
following  week.  The  first  days  were  taken  up  by  secret  ceremonials, 
to  which  the  uninitiated  were  not  admitted,  and  the  public  presentation 
occurred  on  the  last  days,  Thursday  and  Friday,  August  20  and  21. 

The  secret  ceremonials  took  place  in  the  two  subterranean  rooms 
called  the  Mon'-kiva  and  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva.  The  former  room 
was  occupied  throughout  by  the  Antelope  priests  ;  the  latter  by  the 
Snake  Fraternity.  The  snakes  were  hunted  in  the  plain  and  among 
the  foothills  in  the  four  quarters  corresponding  to  their  cardinal  points.1 
The  public  ceremonials  on  the  two  last  days  occurred  in  the  plaza  in 
which  is  situated  the  so-called  "  Dance  Rock." 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  follow  the  account  more  readily,  the 
names  of  the  participants  are  appended.  The  following  list  contains 
the  majority  of  the  members  of  the  Tcu-a-wymp-ki-a  or  Snake  Frater- 
nity from  Wal'-pi  in  1891  :  K6-pe-li,  chief,  Sii-pe-la,  Les'-ma,  Nii-va-o-yi, 


i,  N.  W.  ;  Te-vyun'-a,  S.  W.  ;      ceptions   are   referred   to   in   the   use  of 
Ta-tyit-ka,  S.  E.  ;  and  ff6-pok-yu-ka,  N.      north,  west,  south,  and  east. 
E.     Throughout  this  article  the  Hopi  con-          2  Tuh'-kwi,  Pillar-mound. 


10  THE    SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

Ta-la-ho-ya,  Si-kya-ta-la,  Lo-mo-nan'-kwii-cii,  Si-kyau-wis'-ti-wa,  Ca-na, 
Ma-i,  Ci-wu,  Pi-ba,  Ho-mo-bi,  Poc'-to,  M6-mi?  Tco-no,  Piir-ya-to,  Ma- 
ki-wa,  Na-ka-vii,  Tiih'-kwi,  Sis'-kyau-ma,  Ne-vat'-i,  Na-si-mo-ki,  A'-mi, 
Y6-yo-wai-ya,  Ha-ni,  Nii-va-wu-nu,  Ma-ran'-ta-ka,  Kwa-tca-kwa,  Si-tai-ma, 
Si-yii'-ku-li,  Si-kya-tufi-an-ma,  Lo-ma-yam'-ti-wa,  Gya-cu-sru,  and  Si- 
kya-bd-ti-ma. 

The  following  members  live  in  Ha-no :  Kiitc'-ve,  Pa-tun-tiih-pi, 
Ka-no,  Wi-wi-la,  and  Tcd-yo.  To  the  above  must  be  added  Si-kya-pi-ki, 
and  Kiitc'-ha-yi  from  the  Middle  Mesa. 

The  names  of  the  Antelope  priests  are  :  Wi-ki/  Ha-ha-we,  Na-syun7- 
we-ve,  Hon'-yi,  Kwa-a,  Wi-ky-at'-i-wa,  Ta-wa,  Mas-i-um'-ti-wa,  Ka-sro, 
Sa-mi-mo-ki,  Chii-bey,  Wey-wey,  Tcac-hiim-i-wi^  Tcos-hon'-i-wa,  In'-ti- 
wa,2  and  several  children  whose  names  I  do  not  know. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  have  a  general  oversight  of  the  course 
of  events  in  this  complicated  observance,  a  tabular  summary  or  calen- 
dar of  the  nine  days'  proceedings  is  introduced  below.  This  short 
synopsis  may  be  an  aid  to  an  understanding  of  the  special  descrip- 
tion given  farther  on. 

Thursday,  August  13  : 

1.  Making  of  the  nd-ku-yi  by  the  Antelopes.  2.  Preparation  of 
the  sand  mosaic  of  the  Mon'-kiva  by  Wi-ki,  the  Antelope  chief. 

Friday,  August  14 : 

1.  Preparation  of  pd-ho(s),  in  the  Mon'-kiva  during  the  morning. 
2.  Consecration  of  the  same  by  the  singing  of  sixteen  traditional  songs 
by  the  Antelopes  in  the  same  kiva. 

Saturday,  August  15  : 

1.  Ceremony  in  the  Mon'-kiva  attending  the  delivery  of  the  Snake 
and  other  pd-ho(s)  to  K6-pe-li  by  Wi-ki.  2.  Tcil'-d-md-ki-wa  or  snake 
hunt  to  the  north.  3.  The  singing  of  the  sixteen  traditional  songs 
by  the  Antelopes  in  the  Mon'-kiva. 

Sunday,  August  16 : 

1.  Ceremonies  at  the  delivery  of  pd-ho(s)  to  Ko-pe-li.     2.  Snake 

1  His  whole  name  is  S^-mi-wi-ki.  2  Was  a  novice  in  1891. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  11 

hunt  to  the  west.  3.  Sixteen  traditional  songs  sung  in  the  Mon'-kiva. 
4.  Ho-'ko-na-md-na  tile  audpat'-ne  first  seen  in  Mon'-kiva. 

Monday,  August  17 : 

1.  Delivery  of  pd-ho(s)  to  K6-pe-li.  2.  Snake  hunt  to  the  south. 
3.  Sixteen  traditional  songs  sung  in  the  Mon'-kiva.  4.  Na-tci-a-wa-ta 
affixed  to  the  ladder  for  first  time.  Sand  on  the  hatch. 

Tuesday,  August  18  : 

1.  Delivery  of  pd-ho(s)  to  K6-pe-li.  2.  Snake  hunt  to  the  east, 
with  feast.  3.  Sixteen  traditional  songs  sung  in  the  Mon'-kiva. 

Wednesday,  August  19  : 

1.  Making  of  the  sand  mosaic  of  the  Snake  altar  in  the  Wi-kwal'-i- 
o-bi  kiva.  2.  Making  charm  liquid  and  medicine  pellets.  3.  Sixteen 
traditional  songs  sung  in  the  Mon'-kiva.  4.  Initiation  in  the  Wi-kwal'- 
i-o-bi  kiva.  5.  Singing  at  Ta-wa-pa,  sun  spring. 

Thursday,  August  20 : 

1.  Antelope  race.  2.  Dramatization  and  sixteen  traditional  songs 
sung  in  Mon'-ki-va.  3.  Renewal  of  nd-M-yi  in  the  Mon'-kiva.  4. 
Public  ceremony  by  Antelope  and  Snake  priests  on  the  plaza  with  corn- 
stalks and  gourd  vines. 

Friday,  August  21 : 

1.  Dramatization  and  sixteen  traditional  songs.  2.  Ceremonial  of 
novices  in  the  Mon'-kiva.  3.  Snake  Race.  4.  Snake  Washing  in  the 
Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva.  5.  Public  Snake  Dance.  6.  Drinking  emetic. 
7.  Feast. 

Saturday,  August  22 : 

1.  Purification  of  the  Snake  priests. 

The  game  for  four  days  after  the  Snake  Dance  is  called  Nui-ti-wa.1 

The  official  announcement  of  the  time  decided  upon  for  the  Snake 
Dance  and  the  events  of  the  different  days  of  the  celebration  were 
made  on  August  5,  eight  days  before  the  Snake  Dance  began.  On 
that  day  Hon'-yi,  the  public  crier  for  this  ceremony,  shouted  the 

1  A  description  of  this  game  has  been  authority  of  several  priests.  It  took  place 
introduced  as  an  appendage  to  the  Snake  in  both  years  in  which  the  ceremony  has 
Dance,  but  with  some  misgivings,  on  the  been  studied  in  a  scientific  manner. 


12  THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS    AT   WALPI. 

announcement  from  the  top  of  the  village,  by  direction  of  Wi-ki,  the 
Antelope  chief.  The  same  morning  a  pu'r-ta-bi,  formed  by  a  stringed 
na-kwd-kwo-ci  on  a  line  of  meal,  was  placed  at  sunrise  on  the  trail  at 
the  narrow  part  of  the  mesa  between  Si-tcom'-o-vi  and  Wal'-pi.  Two 
days  before,  Wi-ki  and  an  assistant  had  made  prayer  offerings  at  the 
house  of  the  former  in  the  plain  and  deposited  them  in  a  shrine  to  the 
south,  but  the  details  of  their  manufacture  are  unknown  to  me.  Pos- 
sibly this  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  ceremony,  but  further  observation 
may  reveal  some  connection.  It  is  not  apparent  by  what  signs  the 
date  was  determined,  but  a  ceremonial  smoke  was  held  by  Wi-ki,  Ko- 
pe-li,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we,  Kwa-a,  and  Ka-kap-ti  the  night  before 
the  announcement,  and  the  date  in  1891  was  said  to  have  been  agreed 
upon  at  that  time. 

Wi-ki  also  spent  some  time  for  many  days  before  the  beginning  of  the 
nine  days'  ceremony  in  spinning  native  cotton  string  to  use  in  the  prep- 
aration of  the  pd-ho(s).  This  he  did  in  his  house  in  the  plain,  moving 
to  his  mesa  home  the  night  before  the  beginning  of  the  ceremony. 

Prior  to  the  celebration  of  the  Snake  Dance  in  1893  there  assem- 
bled at  Ca-li-ko's  (Su-pe-la's)  house,  on  the  evening  of  July  28,  the 
following  men,  who  had  a  ceremonial  smoke,  and  then  determined  the 
time  proper  for  the  observance  :  Wi-ki,  Kwa-a,  Ha-ha-we,  Ka-tci  (for 
his  brother  Na-syun'-we-ve,  who  was  absent),  Hori'-yi,  and  Sii-pe-la  (rep- 
resenting his  son,  Ko-pe-li).  The  meeting-place  was  well  chosen,  since 
it  was  the  home  of  Ko-pe-li,  the  Snake  chief,  and  his  father,  Sii-pe-la, 
whose  wife  Ca-li-ko  is  the  eldest  female  member  of  the  Snake  Family. 

On  this  day  Wi-ki  made  the  pur-ta-bi,  and  the  other  chiefs  a  na- 
kwd-kwo-ci,  for  Hon'-yi,  the  speaker  chief  of  this  observance,  to  plant 
on  the  29th.  He  announced  on  the  29th,  eight  days  before  the 
event,  the  date  on  which  the  observance  would  take  place.  The  nine 
days'  ceremony  in  1893,  therefore,  began  on  August  6. 

There  were  very  few,  and  those  unimportant,  differences  between 
the  presentations  in  1891  and  1893.1  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the 

1  On  the  last  days  of  the  1891  celebra-  room  in  Wal'-pi  in  order  to  be  nearer  the 
tion  Mr.  Owens  and  the  author  took  a  ki-va(s).  Mr.  Stephen  lived  in  Si-tcomf- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  13 

details  of  the  ritual  are  so  closely  followed  in  successive  presentations 
of  the  same  ceremonial.  However,  it  must  be  said  that  dance  para- 
phernalia of  white  men's  manufacture,  which  are  slowly  being  intro- 
duced, have  led  to  modifications  in  the  appearance  of  the  participants 
in  the  public  presentation.  The  secret  portions  of  the  celebration  oc- 
curred in  the  Mon'-kiva,1  which  was  occupied  throughout  by  the  Ante- 
lope priesthood,  and  in  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva,  where  the  mysteries  of 
the  Tcu-a-wymp-kia(s)  or  Snake  priests  were  performed. 

The  ceremonial  events  began  in  the  Mon'-kiva,  and  predominance 
was  given  from  the  very  outset  to  the  Tcub-wymp-ki-ya,  or  Antelope 
Fraternity.  Except  by  the  Snake  chief,  the  other  kiva  was  deserted  on 
the  first  as  well  as  the  following  day,  and  at  least  two  days  elapsed 
before  the  Snake  priests  as  a  body  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. This  fact  is  significant,  and  emphasizes  what  appeared 
throughout,  that  the  Snake  ceremonial  is  controlled  by  the  Antelope 
rather  than  by  the  Snake  society. 


FIRST    DAY    (YUN-LA,    ASSEMBLY).2 

At  early  sunrise  Wi-ki  was  seen  at  the  entrance  of  the  Mon'-kiva. 
He  was  just  coming  up  the  ladder,  and  bore  in  his  hands  the  nd-tci, 

o-vi,  at  An-i-wi-ta's  house  during  the  whole  perplexing  subject,  and  is  not  yet  satisfac- 

ceremony.     It   is  strongly   to   be   recom-  torily  made  out  in  its  details.    The  priests 

mended  that  observers,  in  studying   this  consulted  on  this  subject  had  several  names 

and    other    ceremonials,   take   up  a   resi-  for  the  ceremonial  days,  which  all  recog- 

dence  in  the  villages.     During  the  presen-  nized  as  correct.     They  represented   the 

tation  in  1893  Messrs.  Scott  and  Lungren  days  by  four  groups  of  kernels  of  corn, 

lodged  in  Wal'-pi  ;  Mr.  Stephen  and  the  each  group  arranged  in  four  rows.     The 

author  in  Ha-nd-ki  or  Tewa.  kernel  at  the   left   end   of   the   row  was 

1  For  descriptions    of   these    chambers  called  Ti-yun-a-va,  and  was  pushed  away 
see  Journal  of  American  Ethnology  and  with  the  remark  that  they  did  not  count 
Archceolvgy,  vol.   ii.   No.  1.     The  differ-  it.     They  then  counted  seven  kernels  for 
ent  fraternities  of  priests  are  mentioned  nights,  and  the   eighth   kernel  they  said 
in  the  same  article.  was  called   Yiifn-ya,  but  it  also  they  did 

2  The   day  of    the    gathering    of    the  not  count.     The  next  kernel  was  Ciic-td- 
priests  (Thursday,  August  13,  1891  ;  Sun-  la,  the  first  day.     Their  nomenclature  of 
day,  August  6,  1893).    The  nomenclature  days  would  then  be,  — 

of  the  ceremonial  days  or  nights  is  a  very  1.   Yu'n-ya. 


14         THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

which  was  made  of  two  eagle  wing-feathers  tied  to  a  short  stick.  He 
placed  it  upright  in  the  straw  matting  at  the  hatchway,  first  sprinkling 
meal  on  the  ladder.  This  nd-tci  was  put  up  on  the  morning  of  each 
day  at  sunrise,  and  a  similar  object  was  also  placed  at  the  entrance  to 
the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva,  as  a  sign  that  ceremonials  were  being  per- 
formed, and  when  it  was  put  in  position  a  pinch  of  meal  was  sprinkled 
upon  it  and  thrown  in  the  direction  of  the  rising  sun.  The  floor  of 
the  chamber  had  been  carefully  swept  by  Wi-ki,  and  the  si-pa-pu1 
closed  with  a  plug.  A  large  quantity  of  meal  was  noticed  in  a  basket 
tray  on  the  floor  at  the  west  end  of  the  room. 

Wi-ki,  in  1893,  went  out,  but  soon  returned  with  several  bags  of 
different  colored  sand,  which,  it  was  said,  were  obtained  from  Ka-kap- 
ti's 2  house,  and  laid  them  on  the  floor  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
kiva. 

Ko-pe-li,  who  up  to  this  time  had  been  seated  alone  in  the  Wi-kwal'- 
i-o-bi  kiva,  came  into  the  Mon'-kiva  about  sunrise,  and  shortly  after  Na- 


2.  Cilc-td-la,  first  day. 

3.  Liic-td-la,  second  day. 

4.  Paic-td-la,    third   day ;    also  called 
pa-ko-la-lau-wfi,  and  tok-tai-yii'n-ya,  i.  e., 
open-eyed  or  sleepless  assembly,  as  on  this 
night  all  the  priests  gather  and  sing. 

5.  Na-luc-ta-la,  fourth  day,   but  more 
prominently  named  ke-kel-ku-kitfyi-va  (ke- 
les,   novices   emerge).      This   is   likewise 
called  Nuc'-wi-ca,  food  (flesh)  eating.  The 
taboo  of  food  ends  this  day. 

6.  Cuc-td-la,  first  day,  also  Soc-ka-hi- 
mii-i,  all  do  nothing. 

7.  Ko-m6k-to-tok-ya,      wood-gathering 
day. 

8.  To-to-kya,  sleeps   (reduplicated,  plu- 
ral of  to-kya).     The  last  night  the  priests 
pass  in   the   kiva.     This  was  also  called 
tok-tai-yun-yti. 

9.  Ti-hu-ni,  we  will  personate  ;  ti-ki-ve- 
ni,  we  will  dance. 


10.  0-vek-ni-wa,  holiday.  Purifica- 
tions performed  on  this  day,  but  all  serious 
ceremonials  have  ended. 

1  See  description  of  the  kiva(s)  in  Jour- 
nal of  Ethnology  and  Archceology,  vol.  ii. 
No.  1. 

2  K£-kap-ti  is  said  to  be  the  collector  of 
the  sand.  He  is  a  chief  of  the  Sand  or  Earth 
people,  and  took  the  part  of  courier,  de- 
positing the  ca-kwd-pa-ho(s)  in  the  "  world- 
quarter  "  shrines,  as  will  be  described  later. 
In  the  celebration  of  1893  this  part  was 
performed  by  his   brother  on  account  of 
K^-kap-ti's    lameness.     Neither   of   these 
sat  in  the  line    of  Antelope  priests  (see 
diagrams),  nor  made  any  of  the  pd-ho(s), 
which  were  made  from  day  to  day.     Kd- 
kap-ti's  brother  was  the  courier  who  depos- 
ited the  offerings  of  the  Flute  priests  in 
their  ceremony,  which  in  this  respect,  as  in 
many  others,  is  the  same  as  the  Snake. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  15 

syun'-we-ve  followed.  These  three  persons  sat  together  smoking  for 
a  brief  time,  Wi-ki  in  the  middle  facing  east,  with  K6-pe-li  on  his 
left.  Wi-ki  passed  the  pipe  to  K6-pe-li,  exchanging  terms  of  relation- 
ship. While  this  was  going  on,  Ha-hau-we  entered,  bearing  a  copper 
pail  filled  with  water,  which  he  set  down  near  the  future  position  of 
the  altar,  or  just  south  of  the  fireplace. 

MAKING    OF    THE    CHARM    LIQUID    (NA-KU-Yl). 

Wi-ki  first  carried  his  nd-kwi-pi  (medicine  bowl)  and  a  tray  of  meal 
to  a  place  on  the  floor  near  the  fireplace,  and  took  a  taste  of  honey. 
He  then  emptied  valley  sand  in  a  little  pile  on  the  floor  southeast  of  the 
fireplace,  and  made  on  it  six  radiating  lines  in  meal,  following  the  sin- 
istral  ceremonial  circuit,  beginning  with  the  north  (northwest).  At 
their  junction  on  the  sand  he  placed  his  empty  nd-kwi-pi  with  its  han- 
dle over  the  southeast  line.  He  next  poured  into  the  bowl  the  liquid 
from  the  copper  kettle,  moving  it  in  sinistral  circuit,  first  towards  the 
northwest,  when  he  poured  a  little  liquid  into  the  bowl ;  then  to  the 
soiitheast ;  and  so  on  until  the  circuit  was  completed,  after  which  the 
remaining  liquid  was  added. 

The  next  process  was  to  bruise  some  twigs  with  a  stone  and  put 
them  in  the  liquid,  following  the  circuit  as  described  above,  making  a 
pass  to  one  of  the  world  quarters  each  time  he  added  a  pinch.  Wi-ki 
then  added  a  little  honey  to  the  bowl  with  a  movement  of  his  hand  to 
each  of  the  six  directions  in  turn  as  he  dropped  it. 

The  celebrants  then  took  their  positions  around  the  bowl.  The 
Antelopes  were  without  clothing,  but  Ko-pe-li  wore  his  ordinary  dress. 

The  making  of  the  charm  liquid  was  completed  by  Na-syun'-we-ve, 
who  added  corn  pollen l  in  the  sinistral  order  observed  by  Wi-ki  with 
the  other  ingredients.  He  then  sat  and  received  the  pipe,  exchanging 
terms  of  relationship.  Wi-ki  then  put  into  the  bowl  a  small  offering2 
brought  by  the  Ko-ho-ni-no  visitors  two  years  before. 

1  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  same  man  2  This  was  efficacious  since  it  had  been 
later  furnished  the  corn  pollen  with  which  brought  from  a  place  where  water  was 
to  sprinkle  the  altar.  abundant. 


16         THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

K6-pe-li,  who  up  to  this  time  had  been  sitting  apart,  joined  the 
group  around  the  bowl,  received  the  pipe  and  smoked.  He  puffed  the 
pipe  for  some  time,  and  at  the  close  of  his  smoke  the  assemblage  was 
joined  by  Kwa-a,  who  smoked  in  turn.  With  his  arrival  all  the  ne- 
cessary celebrants  were  present,  and  took  a  squatting  posture.  Wi-ki 
prayed,  and  the  others  responded  with  a  short  word  equivalent  to 
"  amen."  This  habit  is  common  in  Hopi  prayers,  and  is  believed  to  be 
aboriginal. 

Na-syun'-we-ve  prayed  after  Wi-ki,  and  was  followed  in  turn  by  Ha- 
hau-we,  Kwa-a,  and  Ko-pe-li  ;  to  whom  the  others  responded. 

Wi-ki  then  shook  his  rattle,  and  Ha-ha-we  the  aspergill,  and  all 
sang  a  low  song  over  the  nd-kwi-pi.  The  celebrants  prayed  in  the 
following  sequence  :  Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we,  Kwa-a,  and 


Ha-ha-we  next  placed  the  tip  of  the  aspergill  in  the  nd-kwi-pi,  and, 
drawing  it  out,  asperged  to  the  six  directions  in  sinistral  circuit.  He 
again  dipped  the  aspergill  in  the  liquid,  went  up  on  the  roof  of  the 
kiva,  and  asperged  to  four  directions  in  ceremonial  circuit,  beginning 
at  the  northwest.  When  he  returned  Wi-ki  engaged  in  conversation 
with  him,  and  all  smoked,  after  which  Wi-ki  placed  a  bundle  of  flag 
leaves  in  the  nd-kwi-pi,  which  he  set  on  the  floor  near  the  si-pa-pu. 

The  only  difference  between  the  observance  of  this  rite  1  in  1891  and 
in  1893  was  the  addition  of  the  Ko-ho-ni-no  offering,  but  it  was 
noticed  that  Wi-ki  was  more  careful  in  1891  than  in  1893  to  puff 
smoke  to  each  of  the  cardinal  points. 

After  the  making  of  the  charm  liquid,  which  was  later  used  by  Ha- 
ha-we  in  asperging,  in  mixing  the  pigments  for  the  pd-ho(s),  and  for 
other  purposes,  several  of  the  priests  left  the  kiva,  but  soon  returned, 
and  remained  during  the  second  important  event  of  the  first  day,  the 
construction  of  the  sand  altar. 

1  This  observance  is  properly  speaking      nd-na-ni-vo  pott-ya.     See  this   Journal, 
an  invocation  to  the  gods  of  the  six  cardi-      vol.  ii.  No.  1,  p.  75. 
nal   points,    and   the   altar   is   called  the 


THE  SNAKE    CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  17 

THE    DRY    PAINTING    OR    SAND    MOSAIC    OF    THE    ANTELOPES. 

About  half  past  ten 1  in  the  morning  preparations  were  begun  for 
making  a  sand  mosaic  or  dry  painting  on  the  floor  of  the  Mon'-kiva. 
At  that  time  there  were  only  four  persons  present,  all  but  one,  Les'-ma, 
who  is  a  Snake  priest,  being  Antelopes  (Tcub-wymp'-~ki-ya(s)).  Les'-ma 
was  finishing  a  blanket  which  disappeared  from  the  kiva  that  evening, 
and  was  not  again  brought  in  during  the  ceremonial. 

The  stone  floor  of  the  kiva  around  the  si-^pa-pu  was  thoroughly 
swept  by  Wi-ki,  who  then  stuffed  corn  husks  into  all  the  crevices 
about  the  plank  in  which  the  si-pa-pu  was,  and  carefully  closed  the 
openings  in  the  floor  through  which  the  sand  might  filter  between  the 
stones  or  flags  upon  which  the  dry  painting  was  to  be  made.  The 
si-pa-pu  had  previously  been  stopped  up  with  a  plug. 

In  1891  Na-syun'-we-ve  ground  different  colored  sands  from  the 
fragments  of  rocks  which  Ka-kap-ti  had  brought.  Ha-hau-we  was 
engaged  in  embroidering  a  dance  kilt,  and  Kwa-a,  Hon'-yi,  and  Ka- 
kap-ti  were  also  present.  The  ti-po-ni2  of  the  Antelopes,  not  yet 
untied,  lay  on  the  floor  back  of  the  altar. 

The  sand-picture  was  made  by  Wi-ki,  who  began  this  part  of  the 
ceremony  by  filling  an  open-meshed  basket  with  fine  brown  sand  which 
Ka-kap-ti  had  brought  in  a  canvas  bag  from  the  plain.  This  sand  he 
sifted  on  the  floor  around  the  si-pa-pu,  renewing  it  when  necessary 
from  the  bag,  until  a  layer  of  sand  about  four  feet  square  was  formed. 
Upon  this  groundwork  Wi-ki  next  proceeded  to  elaborate  a  border  of 
the  different  colors  that  are  symbolic  of  the  Hopi  world  quarters.  He 
first  took  a  handful  of  yellow  sand  and  allowed  it  to  trickle  between 
his  thumb  and  forefinger  in  the  direction  he  wished  to  follow,  going 
over  and  over  the  line  until  it  was  half  an  inch  wide.  In  this  careful 
way  he  drew  a  yellow  band  on  each  of  the  four  sides  of  his  bed  of 
sand,  several  inches  from  the  edge,  which  described  a  rectangle  about 
thirty  inches  square.  It  was  interesting  to  observe  that  Wi-ki  was 

1  In  1893  Wi-ki  began  the  picture  at          2  Society  palladium, 
nine  A.  M. 


18  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

particular  to  draw  this  color  across  the  north  side  first,  because  yellow 
is  the  symbol  of  the  north  ;  also,  that  he  began  it  at  the  northeast 
corner,  moving  his  hand  towards  the  west  until  the  yellow  band  on 
the  north  side  was  finished,  when  he  continued  the  sinistral  circuit 
down  the  west  side,  across  the  south,  and  finally  along  the  east  to  his 
starting-place. 

The  green  sand  (malachite)  came  next  in  order  outside  the  yellow 
band,  and  Wi-ki  added  it  in  the  same  manner ;  only  he  let  the  green 
sand  trickle  from  his  hand  first  on  the  west  side,  as  green  or  blue  sym- 
bolizes this  world  quarter.  Beginning  this  time  at  the  northwest  cor- 
ner, Wi-ki  again  followed  the  sinistral  circuit  in  his  dry  painting  until 
the  yellow  border  on  four  sides  was  inclosed  by  a  green  one. 

A  little  digression  next  occurred,  for  Wi-ki  left  the  colored  border 
half  completed,  to  sift  white  sand  from  a  basket  tray  over  the  eastern 
half  of  the  brown  sand  that  formed  the  rectangle  within  the  yellow 
stripe,  leaving  the  other  portion  uncovered. 

He  then  returned  to  the  border ;  this  time  taking  up  a  handful  of 
red  sand,  with  which  he  added  another  band  outside  the  green  one, 
and  the  same  width  as  the  previous  colors.  As  red  is  the  color  of  the 
south,  of  course  Wi-ki  made  that  side  first ;  going  from  the  southwest 
corner  in  his  usual  sinistral  course  until  the  four  sides  had  a  red  mar- 
gin. Again  Wi-ki  left  the  border  unfinished,  this  time  to  ornament 
the  half  of  the  groundwork  that  he  had  not  covered  with  white  sand. 
With  a  handful  of  yellow  sand,  as  it  trickled  between  his  thumb  and 
forefinger,  he  drew  on  the  brown  sand  the  outlines  of  four  semicircles 
in  a  row,  just  large  enough  to  fill  the  space  at  the  west  side  of  the  rec- 
tangle, the  curves  towards  the  inner  part  of  the  field.  Wi-ki  relied 
upon  his  judgment  in  determining  the  size  of  these  semicircles,  and 
did  not  trace  a  pattern  beforehand  either  for  this  figure  or  for  any 
that  followed.  He  next  filled  each  of  these  semicircles  with  a  thin 
layer  of  yellow  sand,  beginning  with  that  nearest  the  north.  He  then 
added  to  these  semicircles  a  row  of  green  ones,  this  time  making  three 
semicircles  and  a  half  one  at  each  end  to  complete  the  remaining  quad- 
rants. This  he  followed  by  a  row  of  four  semicircles,  using  red  sand 


SAND  MOSAIC  OF  THE  ANTELOPE  PRIESTS. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI.  19 

for  these.  Next  in  order  came  a  row  of  white  semicircles,  which  Wi-ki 
began  by  sprinkling  white  sand  over  the  space  between  the  white  half 
of  the  rectangle  and  the  red  semicircles,  carefully  continuing  the  white 
into  the  angles  left  by  them.  He  then  traced  with  black  sand  the 
outline  of  another  series  of  semicircles,  thus  adding  white  clouds  to 
this  symbolic  figure  of  the  rain-clouds  of  the  four  world  quarters. 

The  colored  border  of  the  rectangle  was  next  continued  by  Wi-ki, 
who  now  drew  a  stripe  with  white  sand  the  same  width  as  the  others, 
except  on  the  side  towards  the  west,  which  he  made  about  twice  as 
broad.  He  followed  the  sinistral  circuit  as  with  the  other  colors, 
beginning  at  the  southeast  corner  and  painting  the  eastern  side  first, 
as  white  typifies  this  quarter  of  the  heavens.  The  four  colors  of  the 
border  having  been  put  on  in  their  order,  Wi-ki  took  a  handful  of 
black  sand  and  with  utmost  care  traced  a  line  between  each  of  them. 
He  also  drew  a  black  line  between  the  border  and  the  rectangle  and 
finished  the  outer  edge  of  the  white  band  with  the  same  color. 

The  different  colored  semicircles  were  next  separated  by  similar 
black  lines  of  sand,  that  which  divided  the  yellow  from  the  green 
clouds  being  drawn  first.  Wi-ki  continued  his  picture  by  representing 
the  four  lightning  symbols  on  the  white  field.  Each  was  so  drawn  as 
to  rise  from  one  of  the  four  angles  between  the  white  semicircles  of 
the  cloud  picture,  having  four  zigzags  in  the  body  and  a  triangular 
head  which  pointed  east.  He  colored  them  in  order,  yellow,  green, 
red,  and  white  ;  the  white  figure  being  outlined  later,  when  black  mar- 
gins were  added  to  the  others.  These  four  symbols  had  the  same  gen- 
eral form,  but  important  variations  appeared  in  the  head  appendages. 

After  the  yellow,  green,  and  red  lightning  symbols  had  been  made, 
Wi-ki  outlined  the  yellow  lightning  with  a  black  line.  He  made  four 
parallel  black  lines  on  the  neck  in  place  of  a  necklace,  and  at  the  right 
of  the  head  drew  a  curved  horn  pointing  outward  and  forward.  He 
dropped  pinches  of  black  sand  on  the  head  to  represent  eyes  and 
mouth.  He  next  made  the  border  of  the  green  lightning  symbol  in 
the  same  way  in  which  he  drew  that  of  the  yellow,  except  that  on 
the  head  of  this  he  represented  a  square  with  diagonals  instead  of  a 


20 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 


horn.  After  having  also  formed  a  black  margin  on  the  red  figure, 
Wi-ki  added  a  horn  to  the  head,  and  spots  of  black  sand  for  eyes. 
Now  came  the  making  of  the  white  lightning  symbol,  which  only 
needed  to  be  outlined  with  black  sand,  since  the  white  groundwork 
gave  the  required  color.  Upon  the  head  of  this  figure  Wi-ki  drew 
the  square  with  diagonals. 

He  next  sifted  white  sand  on  the  west  side  of  his  picture,  enough  to 
broaden  the  white  band  by  several  inches.  Upon  this  he  drew  about 
forty  parallel  black  lines,  nearly  three  inches  long,  to  represent  rain 
falling  from  the  symbolic  clouds.  He  then  finished  the  mosaic  by  add- 
ing pinches  of  sand  here  and  there  in  imperfect  places. 

The  drawing  of  this  sand  altar  occupied  about  two  hours,  so  that  it 
was  completed  at  high  noon.  It  was  very  beautiful  as  it  lay  on  the 
floor,  reminding  one  of  a  rug  or  blanket.  The  maker  had  not  touched 
a  finger  to  it,  nor  used  any  rule,  cord,  or  other  measuring  instrument 
throughout  his  work. 

When  Wi  ki  had  finished  the  sand  mosaic  he  spun  four  short  and 

one  long  stringed  na-kwd-kwo-ci,1  and  made 
two  little  cylinders  of  wood  which  were  about 
the  size  of  the  first  joint  of  the  little  finger. 
These  cylinders  were  painted  black.  The 
feathers  of  the  na-kwd-kwo-ci  were  stained 
red,  and  were  at  least  two  in  number.  One 
of  the  other  priests  made  two  annulets  of 
the  leaf  of  a  flag  brought  from  near  Zufii  by 
some  of  the  participants  in  the  Ana-ka-tci-na, 
which  was  celebrated  a  few  weeks  before. 
The  annulets  were  formed  by  winding  the 


flags   over   and  over  a  central  core,  and  a 
small  handle  was  attached  to  each  annulet. 
The  two  cylinders  were  then  laid,  one  on  the 
horn  of  the  yellow  and  the  other  on  that  of  the  red  lightning  symbols, 

1  A  na-kwd-kivo-ci  is  a  several-stranded 
cotton  string  of  prescribed  length,  to  one 


Cylinder. 


end  of  which  one  or  more  feathers  are 
tied. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 


21 


while  the  annulets  were  carefully  placed  on  the  rectangles  of  the  heads 
of  the  green  and  white  zigzag  figures.  The  former  are  the  male,  the 
latter  the  female,  lightning  sym- 
bols, and  the  appendages  are 
symbolic  of  the  sex.  They  were 
similar  to  the  objects  carried  by 
the  boy  and  girls  in  the  Flute 
ceremony.1  The  four  short- 
stringed  na-kwd-Jcwo-ci  were 
placed  on  the  heads  of  the 
lightning  symbols,  the  feathers 
pointing  forward. 

Wi-ki  then  uncovered  the 
Antelope  ti-po-ni,  which  up  to 
this  time  had  been  lying  on 
its  side,  wrapped  in  buckskin, 
forming  an  elongated  pointed 
bundle.  He  next  sprinkled  corn 
pollen  around  the  border  of  the 
mosaic,  across  the  clouds  and 
down  the  length  of  the  light- 
ning symbols.  A  depression 

back   Of    the   Western  border     Of  Heads  of  the  Male  and  Female  Lightning. 

the  mosaic  was  now  filled  with 

brown  sand,  by  which  a  bed  was  made  for  the  ti-po-ni.  Six  radiating 
lines  representing  the  cardinal  points  were  drawn  with  meal  upon  this 
mound,  and  a  handful  of  the  same  was  thrown  upon  them.  Over  the 
junction  of  these  lines  Wi-ki  waved  his  ti-po-ni  in  a  horizontal  plane, 
moving  it  in  the  different  directions  indicated  by  them,  and  then 
planted  its  butt  end  at  their  intersection.  He  then  deposited  at  the 
side  of  his  ti-po-ni  a  lion  fetish,  which  was  so  placed  that  its  head 
faced  the  figures  of  the  clouds. 

K6-pe-li,  the  Snake  Chief,  standing  at  the  west  side  of  the  altar, 
1  See  Journal  of  American  Ethnology  and  Archaeology,  vol.  ii.  No.  1. 


22 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 


then  handed  Wi-ki  the  ti-po-ni  of  the  Snake  Fraternity.  Wi-ki  took  a 
handful  of  meal  and  made  six  passes  to  the  cardinal  points,  after  each 
pass  drawing  a  line  of  meal  in  one  of  these  directions  on  the  floor  just 
north  of  the  fetish.  He  then  waved  the  Snake  ti-po-ni  horizontally  in 
the  air  above  their  junction,  where  he  placed  it  as  he  had  his  own. 
He  added  three  small  fetishes  by  the  side  of  the  Snake  ti-po-ni  and  the 
same  by  his  own,  after  which  he-  threw  meal  from  above  his  ti-po-ni 
diagonally  across  the  mosaic  over  the  head  of  the  white  lightning,  and 
continued  it  along  the  kiva  floor,  casting  a  pinch  out  the  hatchway. 
The  longer  na-Jcwd-kwo-ci,  which  measured  from  the  middle  of  the 
breast  to  the  tip  of  his  fingers,  having  been  drawn  through  meal  held 
in  his  hand,  was  stretched  from  the  base  of  his  ti-po-ni  as  far  as  it 
would  reach  across  the  picture  in  the  same  direction.  When  this 
object  had  been  put  in  position  meal  was  cast  upon  it. 


Sand   Mosaic  or  Altar  of  the  Antelopes. 


Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ko-pe-li,  and  Wi-ki  then  placed  ancient  stone  imple- 
ments in  a  single  row  with  ends  overlapping  on  the  brown  sand  sur- 
rounding the  white  border  of  the  sand  mosaic,  but  spaces  or  gates  were 
left  on  the  middle  of  the  north,  east,  and  south  sides.  The  stone  imple- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 


23 


ments  were  eighteen  in  number  and  had  a  variety  of  sizes  and  shapes, 
some  being  spatulate,  others  rectangular,  triangular,  or  irregular. 
The  position  of  a  gateway  on  the  west  side  was  occupied  by  the  two 
ti-po-ni(s),  and  the  stone  implements  on  this  and  the  other  sides  were 
so  arranged  that  their  edges  pointed  towards  the  gateway.  These 


Stone  Implements  of  the  Antelope  Altar. 


implements  are  said  to  have  been  brought  up  by  the  ancients  when 
they  came  out  of  the  middle  of  the  earth,  and,  like  many  other  objects 
connected  with  this  dramatization,  are  undoubtedly  very  old.  Mean- 
while Na-syun'-we-ve  arranged  outside  the  ancient  stone  implements  a 
row  of  sticks  of  three  kinds,  all  of  which  are  very  ancient,  and  some, 
if  not  all,  represent  dead  members  of  the  Antelope  Fraternity.  Of 
these  the  crooked  kind,  gne-luk~pi,  were  the  most  numerous. 

These  crooks,  fifteen  in  number,  were  so  arranged  that  four  stood 
on  the  north,  two  on  the  west,  four  on  the  south,  and  five  on  the  east 
sides  of  the  sand  mosaic.  These  were  set  in  little  clay  pedestals,  like- 
wise reputed  to  be  ancient.  One  or  two  had  no  pedestal,  but  were 
laid  on  one  side  at  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  picture.  Each 
gateway  was  guarded  by  a  gne-luk-pi  on  either  side,  with  the  crook 
hanging  over  the  opening.  There  was  also  a  crook  at  each  side  of  the 
three  small  fetishes  which  stood  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  two 
ti-po-ni(s).  These  gne-luk-pi  were  wooden  sticks  with  one  end  crooked, 
about  the  size  of  a  lead  pencil,  eighteen  inches  long  and  painted  black. 
A  string  with  a  feather  stained  red  attached  was  tied  to  the  end  of  the 
crook. 

The  upright  sticks  of  the  second  kind  which  were  placed  in  position 


24  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

about  the  sand  mosaic  were  also  painted  black,  and  were 
of   about  the   same    dimensions   as   the  gne-luk-pi. 
They  differed  from  those  in  being  straight  at 
the  end,  and  about  a  foot  long.     A  package 
of  meal  wrapped  in  corn  husk  and  red  feath- 
ers were  tied  to  each.     They  were  eleven  in 
number,  and  as  a  rule  each  was  set  in  a  small 
clay  pedestal,  which,  however,  was  not  without 
exception,  alternating  with  the  -crooks  in  their 
arrangement  around  the  sand  picture.      At  each  corner 
of  the  pon'-ya  stood  a  stick  called  a  ho-hu  or  arrow-shaft, 
which  closely  resembled  the  snake  pd-ho(s)  in  form  and 
size. 

After  the  crooks  and  similar  objects  had  been  set  in 
place  Wi-ki  took  a  double  handful  of  brown  sand  and 
heaped  it  up  in  a  small  mound  a  few  feet  in  advance  of 
the  east  gate  of  the  pon'-ya,  and  drew  across  it  radiating 
lines  of  meal  corresponding  to  the  cardinal  directions,  and 
at  their  point  of  intersection  set  a  nd-kwi-pi  or  bowl  with 
the  charm  liquid  of  which  I  have  spoken.  He  then  placed 
an  aspergill  of  eagle  feathers  to  the  south  of  the  bowl, 
and  at  the  side  of  the  east  gate,  a  short  distance  in  front 
of  the  line  of  crooks,  he  deposited  a  flat  tray  of  sacred 
meal.  Between  it  and  the  altar  he  laid  two  slats  which 
may  be  called  whizzers.  K6-pe-li  quietly  put  his  rattle  on 
the  banquette  back  of  the  sand  mosaic  (pon'-ya),  but 
Wi-ki  immediately  took  it  up  and  laid  it  with  his  own 
rattle  on  the  floor  back  of  the  ti-po-ni(s).  Each  then 
smoked  ceremonially,  Wi-ki,  Ha-ha-we,  and  Ko-pe-li  ex- 
pectorating1 constantly  into  the  fireplace. 

1  This  is,  I  believe,  ceremonial,   and  has  been  witnessed  and  de- 
scribed in  many  other  observances  of  a  religious  nature.     The  exact 
Antelope  Altar,    significance,  however,  has  not  been  satisfactorily  deciphered. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 


25 


SECOND    DAY    (CUC-TA-LA,    FIRST    CEREMONIAL    DAY). 

The  ceremonies  of  this  day  consisted  of  the  consecration  of  prayer- 
sticks  or  pd-ho(s\  the  manufacture  of  which  occupied  all  the  fore- 
noon, and  they  were  repeated  with 
some  changes  and  additions  on  the 
six  following  days. 

The  pa-ho(s)  are  the  prayer  bear- 
ers, and  vary  in  kind  according  to 
the  divinity  addressed,  and  in  length 
relatively  to  the  distance  of  the 
shrines  in  which  they  are  deposit- 
ed. The  majority  of  the  pd-ho(s) 
manufactured  by  the  Antelope 
priests  are  called  ca-kwd-pa-ho(s) 
or  blue  pd-ho(s),  and  are  carried 
by  a  special  courier  to  the  fanes  of 
the  rain-gods,  who  thus  become 
aware  of  the  wishes  of  the  makers. 
The  virtue  of  the  prayer-sticks  is 
therefore  in  the  prayers  said  to 
them  or  committed  to  their  care. 
These  pd-ho(s)  are  consecrated  by 
traditional  songs  or  ceremonial 
smoking,  but  their  manufacture  has 
more  or  less  of  a  sacred  character. 
The  attention  of  the  reader 
is  first  called  to  the  making 
of  these  objects  and  the 
prescribed  rules  which  must 
be  rigidly  followed.  As 

Hand  representing  Length  of  Ca-kwa-pa-ho(s). 

there     are     four    primary 

world  quarters,  each  with  its  rain-cloud  god,  so  four  of  these  pd-ho(s) 

were  made,  one  to  be  deposited  in  each  of  the  four  shrines.     Since 


26  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

the  distance  of  these  places  of  offering  diminishes  day  by  day  for 
seven  days,  pd-ho(s)  of  seven  different  lengths  were  made,  measuring 
them  by  the  distance  from  creases  on  the  hand  to  the  tip  of  the 
finger,  as  shown  in  the  cut,  the  longest  being  used  on  the  first  day. 

In  a  ceremony  in  which  reptiles  played  such  an  important  part,  it 
may  seem  strange  that  there  was  no  fetish  of  Pa-lu-lu-kon,  the  great 
plumed  snake,  on  the  altar,  although  there  were  several  effigies  *  of  this 
powerful  deity  of  Hopi  mythology  in  Wal'-pi.  The  reason  is  clear,  for 
this  observance  is  in  reality  a  ceremonial  for  rain,  and. although  inci- 
dentally offerings  were  made  to  both  Pd-lu-lu-kon  and  Ma-sau-wuh, 
the  death-god,  the  principal  deity  addressed  was  (y-mow-uh,  the  rain- 
cloud  god  of  the  cardinal  points.  It  is  also  suggestive,  in  support  of 
the  belief  that  snake  worship  is  only  a  subordinate  factor  in  the  Snake 
Dance,  that  the  plumed  serpent  is  not  mentioned  in  the  legend  of 
Ti-yo,  which  is  always  recited  by  the  Hopi  priests  in  their  explanation 
of  the  celebration. 

Before  beginning  the  making  of  a  pd-ho  each  priest  smoked  for 
some  time.  He  then  made  two  sticks  of  a  prescribed  length,  each  of 
which  he  sharpened  at  one  end,  afterwards  polishing  it  on  a  rough 
stone.  These  sticks  were  then  painted  green,  with  black  points,  and 
placed  on  a  basket  tray  to  dry.  Meanwhile  the  priest  wound  a  native 
cotton  string  four  times  around  his  four  fingers,  to  get  the  required 
length,  and  then  tied  the  two  sticks  together  with  it  just  above  their 
black  points.  The  two  thus  united  are  male  and  female.  A  small 
corn  husk  was  next  folded  funnel-shape,  and  into  it  were  dropped 
prayer-meal  and  a  little  honey.  It  was  rolled  into  a  packet,  and 
was  attached  to  the  sticks  at  their  union.  Above  this  a  short  four- 
stranded  string  stained  red,  with  two  small  terminal  feathers,  was  tied 
to  the  pocket.  A  turkey  wing-feather  and  a  sprig  of  each  of  the 

1  For  a  description  of  the  ceremony  in  connected  in  some   way  with   the  Snake 

which  these  were  used,  the  reader  is  re-  Dance,  and  later  observations  may  bring 

ferred  to  The  Pd-lti-lu-kon-ti  (Journal  of  to   light   relationships   between    the    two 

American    Folk-Lore,   December,  1893).  which  have  thus  far  eluded  the  author. 
This  ceremony  was   once  thought   to   be 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL         27 

herbs   kurn-yu  and  pam'-na-wi,  on  the  opposite  side,  completed  this 
strange  prayer  object.     Each  priest  placed  his  sticks  on  a  flat  basket 
tray,  and  later  held  them  to  his  mouth  and  smoked  upon  them.     The 
Antelope  priests  who  took  part  in 
this    were    Wi-ki,    Na-syun'-we-ve, 
Kwa-a,  Ha-ha-we,  and  Ka-tci. 

One  important  pd-ho,  different 
from  those  above  described,  was 
made  by  Na-syun'-we-ve.  This  was 
a  single  long,  black  pointed  stick, 
of  the  length  of  the  forearm,  and 
had  many  strings  with  attached 
feathers  tied  to  it.  It  was  the  pa- 
ho  of  the  deity  Md-sau-wuh,  and 
the  several  stringed  feathers  were 
individual  offerings  or  prayer  bear- 
ers to  the  god  of  death. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning 
each  man  made  one  or  more  na- 


i)  or  per- 
sonal offerings,  to 
be  carried  to  the 
shrines  by  the  one 
to  whom  the  pa- 
ho(s)  were  intrust- 
ed. When  all  had 
finished  their  work 
Wi-ki  gathered  up 
the  whittlings  and 
other  fragments, 

clearing  the  floor  in  "^JJK  preparation  for  the  solemn 

ceremonials      about  to  take  place,  and  depos- 

ited them  with  a  pinch  of  prayer-meal  in  an  appropriate  place  over 
the  side  of  the  mesa. 


Prayer-Stick  (Pa-ho). 


28  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

THE    SIXTEEN    SONGS    CEREMONY. 

On  the  second  and  each  succeeding  day  a  ceremonial  consecration  of 
the  pd-ho(s)  took  place,  during  which  sixteen  songs  were  sung  by  the 
Antelopes  seated  around  the  altar.  This  occurred  at  noon  excepting 
on  the  eighth  and  ninth  days,  when  half  of  the  songs  were  sung 
before  sunrise  and  half  immediately  after.  On  the  last  two  days 
an  interesting  dramatization  was  introduced,  in  which  representatives 
of  the  Snake  boy,  Ti-yo,  and  the  Snake  girl,  Tcu-a-ma-na,  of  legen- 
dary history,  appeared.  On  the  last  two  mornings  there  were  also 
several  persons  present  who  did  not  appear  on  the  previous  days,  nota- 
bly the  Snake  chief,  K6-pe-li,  who  occupied  a  position  of  honor  back  of 
the  sand  mosaic.  Several  of  his  fraternity  accompanied  him,  and  on 
the  morning  of  the  ninth  day  women  and  children  also  attended. 
There  seemed,  however,  to  be  no  important  difference  between  the 
songs  of  the  mornings  of  the  eighth  and  ninth  days  and  those  of 
the  preceding  days,  although  the  attendant  dramatization  rendered  the 
ceremony  more  complicated. 

It  would  simply  be  a  repetition  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  the 
sixteen  songs  ceremony  on  each  of  the  seven  days,  as  the  element  of 
dramatization  introduced  on  the  mornings  of  the  eighth  and  ninth 
days  necessitates  an  account  of  them  in  an  appropriate  place.  The 
following  description  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  this  celebration  on  the 
first  seven  days. 

The  Antelope  participants  in  1893  on  the  first  pd-ho  consecration 
were  Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we,  Ka-kap-ti,  Hon'-yi,  Kwa-a,  and 
Si-kya-bd-ti-ma.  The  last  mentioned  was  absent  in  1891,  but  in  1893 
he  acted  for  his  brother  Ka-kap-ti  as  courier  in  depositing  the  prayer- 
sticks.1  In  this  ceremonial  and  in  others  in  which  he  took  part, 
Ha-ha-we  filled  the  place  of  a  boy  whose  father  had  died,  the  boy 
not  yet  being  old  enough  to  perform  his  part.  The  sole  Snake  priest 
present  was  their  chief  Kd-pe-h*. 

1  A  very  natural  substitute,  since  he  is  which  identically  similar  encircling  courses 
courier  of  the  Flutes  in  their  ceremony,  in  are  taken  in  visiting  the  shrines. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  29 

From  time  to  time  the  priests  glanced  at  the  line  of  sunlight  on 
the  floor  of  the  kiva,  and  when  it  fell  in  such  a  position  as  to  indicate 
noontime,  Wi-ki  deposited  a  flat  basket  near  the  south  gate  of  the 
altar,  and  placed  upon  it  two  "  whizzers,"  which  he  first  anointed  with 
honey.  All  present  said  "Td-ai"  and  drew  up  about  the  sand  mosaic, 
assuming  a  squatting  posture.  Ka-kap-ti  remained1  seated  on  the 
spectator's  part  of  the  kiva  floor  until  Wi-ki  assigned  him  a  position 
directly  in  front  of  the  south  gate  of  the  sand  mosaic.  The  disposition 
of  the  others  was  as  follows  :  Wi-ki  sat  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
mosaic,  a  position  of  honor  which  he  always  occupied.  At  his  left  sat 
Na-syun'-we-ve,  beside  whom  was  Kwa-a,  who  occupied  a  position  a 
little  to  the  east  of  the  north  gate.  Ka-tci  sat  at  the  northeast  corner. 
In  front  of  these  two  priests,  between  Wi-ki  and  Ka-tci,  the  pd-ho(s] 
were  arranged  on  a  tray  of  meal.  After  all  had  squatted  in  position, 
Ha-ha-we,  who  had  moved  to  the  south  of  a  line  east  from  the  gate, 
lit  a  small  pipe  filled  with  native  tobacco,  and  smoked  six  puffs  on  the 
sand  mosaic,  three  into  the  medicine  of  the  nd-kwi-pi  before  him,  and 
three  more  on  the  sand  picture.  He  then  passed  the  lighted  pipe, 
holding  it  low  down  near  the  floor,  with  bowl  forward,  to  Wi-ki.  As 
the  latter  received  it,  Ha-ha-we  said,  "  I-vwd-va"  my  elder  brother,  to 
which  Wi-ki  responded,  "  I-tup-ko"  my  younger  brother. 

Wi-ki  then  smoked  on  the  two  ti-po-ni(s),  which  are  the  palladia  of 
the  Antelope  and  the  Snake  fraternities,  and  then  puffed  great  mouth- 
fuls  of  tobacco  smoke  on  the  pd~ho(s)  in  the  basket  in  front  of  him. 
As  he  did  this  in  silence,  Ha-ha-we  lit  another 2  pipe,  smoked  it  for  a 
time,  and  passed  it  to  Ka-kap-ti,  exchanging  terms  of  relationship  with 
him. 

Ha-ha-we  then  turned  over  the  gne-lulc-pi  on  the  floor,  at  the  south 
side  of  the  east  gate,  simply  placing  it  so  that  the  crooked  end  pointed 
to  the  south.  Wi-ki,  meanwhile,  had  handed  the  pipe  to  Na-syun'- 
we-ve,  who  replied  as  he  received  it,  "  I-nd-a"  3  He  smoked  many 
times  on  the  pd-ho(s),  but  seldom  on  the  sand  mosaic.  After  a  few 

1  Note  this  fact  of  invitation.     It  is  be-          2  Note  this  fact, 
lieved  to  signify  something.  8  I-nd-a,  my  father. 


30        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

moments,  Na-syun'-we-ve  passed  the  pipe  ceremonially  to  his  left-hand 
neighbor,  Kwa-a. 

Ka-kap-ti  then  returned  the  pipe  which  he  had  smoked  to  Ha-ha-we, 
exchanging  terms  of  relationship  as  he  did  so.  He  next  took  his 
feather  box  and  passed  two  black  feathers  to  Wi-ki,  who  gave  him  a 
corn  husk.  Wi-ki  made  a  na-kwd-kwo-ci  and  talked  (offhand1)  to 
Ka-kap-ti.  Meanwhile  he  also  handed  a  pinch  of  corn  pollen  to  the 
others,  and  took  up  the  cylinders  on  the  horns  of  the  male  lightning 
on  the  sand  mosaic  and  tied  na-kwd-kwo-ci  to  each.  He  then  replaced 
the  cylinders  on  the  heads  of  the  lightning  symbols. 

At  about  this  time  Kwa-a  handed  the  pipe  to  Ka-tci,  who  re- 
turned the  same  to  Ha-ha-we,  from  whom,  as  he  received  it,  came  a 
response,  "  I'-ti-i"  A  prayer  was  then  offered  in  a  very  low  tone  by 
Wi-ki,  all  bending  their  heads  in  a  reverential  manner.  Ha-ha-we 
prayed,  and  smoked  the  pipe  which  had  been  returned  to  him,  vigor- 
ously puffing  smoke  on  the  sand  picture.  Wi-ki  then  said :  "  Where 
is  K6-pe-li  ? "  and  sent  Kwa-a  to  get  him.  In  a  short  time  both 
came  in,  and  K6-pe-li  took  a  seat  west  of  the  sand  mosaic  at  Wi-ki's 
right  hand.  Wi-ki  and  K6-pe-li  raised  their  rattles  in  their  right  hands 
as  a  sign  for  silence,  and  Ha-ha-we  took  up  his  aspergill.  After  a 
brief  solemn  interval  Wi-ki  fervently  prayed,  followed  by  K6-pe-li, 
Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we,  and  Kwa-a.  As  each  said  his  prayer  the 
others  responded,  "A.n-tcai"  right.  When  these  devotions  had  ceased, 
Wi-ki  and  Ko-pe-li  tremulously  shook  their  rattles  in  unison,  keeping 
time  with  Ha-ha-we.  Ka-kap-ti  took  one  of  the  crooks  from  the 
altar,  and  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Kwa-a,  and  Ka-tci  a  pd-ho  with  which  to 
beat  time. 

All  then  began  the  first  song  of  the  series,  and  as  they  sang  Ha- 
ha-we  took  a  pinch  of  meal,  and,  throwing  a  little  towards  the  north, 
placed  the  remainder  on  different  parts  of  the  sand  mosaic.  He  next 
dipped  the  tip  of  his  aspergill  into  the  liquid  in  the  nd-kwi-pi,  beating 
time  to  the  song.  He  sprinkled  the  altar  four  times,  throwing  the 

1  Not  sure  what  he  said.  2  I'-ti-i,  my  son. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  31 

liquid  to  different  parts  of  the  sand  mosaic.  To  do  this  he  dipped  the 
tip  of  the  aspergill  four 1  times  in  the  liquid,  each  time  asperging  the 
altar.  Having  sprinkled  the  sand  mosaic,  he  asperged  to  the  cardinal 
points,  beginning  with  the  north  and  following  the  sinistral  ceremonial 
circuit.  As  he  did  this  he  kept  time  with  the  rattles,  and  after  throw- 
ing the  liquid  from  the  aspergill  in  the  direction  corresponding  to  the 
above,  he  brought  his  hand  down  to  a  level  with  his  breast  and  kept 
on  beating  time  with  the  singers.  After  a  short  interval  he  cast  a 
pinch  of  meal  to  the  west,  and  then  on  the  altar,  after  which,  dipping 
his  aspergill  in  the  liquid  four  times  as  before,  he  sprinkled  the  sand 
picture  four  times  and  then  asperged  to  the  cardinal  points.  He 
repeated  this  around  the  whole  circuit  several  times  until  the  song 
changed.  At  the  close  of  the  first  eight  songs  Ka-kap-ti  sprinkled  the 
altar  with  meal,  after  which  all  except  Ko-pe-li  threw  meal  upon  it. 
Wi-ki,  however,  always  carefully  cast  meal  on  the  ti-po-ni(s)  as  well  as 
upon  the  sand  mosaic.  Ha-ha-we  continued  asperging  while  the  meal 
was  being  thrown  on  the  sand  picture.  The  songs  then  ceased,  and 
Wi-ki  sent  Ka-tci  to  bring  him  a  light.  Ka-tci  went  out,  and  soon 
returned  with  a  burning  corncob,  while  all  sat  silently  awaiting  Wi-ki's 
preparation  for  the  great  Of-mow~uh  smoke,  which  was  one  of  the 
most  sacred  acts  performed  by  the  Antelope  priests  in  these  cere- 
monials. 

The  wu-ko-tco-no  is  a  huge,  stemless  pipe,  which  has  a  large  open- 
ing in  the  blunt  end,  and  a  smaller  one  in  the  pointed.  It  is  five 
inches  long,  one  inch  in  diameter  at  the  large  aperture,  and  its  greatest 
circumference  is  seven  and  a  half  inches.  The  pipe  is  made  of  some 
black  material,  possibly  stone,  and  as  far  as  could  be  seen  was  not 
ornamented.  The  bowl  had  previously  been  filled  with  leaves  carefully 
gathered  from  such  places  as  are  required  by  tradition.  In  the  sub- 
sequent smokes  the  ashes,  "  dottle,"  were  saved,  being  placed  in  a 
small  depression  in  the  floor,  but  were  not  again  put  in  the  pipe. 

Wi-ki  took  the  live  ember  from  Ka-tci  and  placed  it  in  the  large 

1  The  number  of  times  varied  somewhat,  but  I  think  four  was  intended. 


32 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 


opening  of  the  pipe,  on  the  leaves  which  filled  its  cavity.     He  then 
knelt  down  and  placed  the  pipe  between  the  two  ti-po-ni(s),  so  that 

the  pointed  end  rested  on  the  head  of  the  large 
fetish,  between  the  ears.  Every  one  remained 
silent,  and  Wi-ki  blew  several  dense  clouds  of 
smoke  upon  the  sand  altar,  one  after  another, 
so  that  the  picture  was  concealed.  The  smoke 
was  made  by  blowing  through  the  pipe,  the  fire 
being  placed  in  the  bowl  next  the  mouth,  and 
the  whole  larger  end  of  the  pfpe  was  taken  into 
the  mouth  at  each  exhalation. 

At  the  San  Juan  pueblo,  near  Santa  Fe,  where 
I  stopped  on  my  way  to  Tusayan,  I  purchased  a 
ceremonial  headdress  upon  which  several  spruce 
Great  o-mow-uh  pipo.  twigs  were  tied.  Wi-ki  received  some  frag- 
ments of  these  with  gratitude,  and  they  formed  one  of  the  ingredients 
which  were  smoked  in  the  great  C/-mow-uh  pipe.  The  scent  of  the 
mixture  was  very  fragrant,  and  filled  the  room,  like  incense.  The 
production  of  this  great  smoke-cloud,  which  is  supposed  to  rise  to  the 
sky,  and  later  bring  the  rain,  ended  the  first  series  of  eight  songs. 

Immediately  after  this  event,  Ha-ha-we  filled  one  of  the  small- 
stemmed  pipes  lying  near  the  fireplace  with  native  tobacco,  and  after 
lighting  it  puffed  smoke  on  the  altar.  He  passed  the  pipe  to  Wi-ki, 
holding  it  near  the  floor,  bowl  foremost,  as  he  did  so,  and  exchanging 
the  customary  terms  of  relationship.  Wi-ki  then  blew  dense  clouds  of 
smoke  over  the  two  ti-po-ni(s)  and  on  the  sand  picture.  Ha-ha-we, 
meanwhile,  lit  a  second  pipe,  and  passed  it  to  K6-pe-li,  the  Snake  chief, 
who  enjoyed  it  in  silence,  indiscriminately  puffing  smoke  on  the  altar, 
to  the  cardinal  points,  and  in  other  directions.  K6-pe-li  later  gave 
his  pipe  to  Ka-kap-ti,  who  sat  at  his  right,  and  Wi-ki  passed  his  to 
Na-syun'-we-ve,  who,  after  smoking,  handed  the  pipe  to  Kwa-a,  who  in 
turn  passed  it  to  Ka-tci,  by  whom  it  was  given  to  Ha-ha-we.  Ka-tci, 
the  last  priest  to  receive  it  before  it  was  returned  to  the  pipe-lighter, 
smoked  for  a  long  time,  and  repeatedly  puffed  clouds  of  smoke  upon 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  33 

the  sand  picture.  Meanwhile  Ka-kap-ti  had  handed  his  pipe  to  Ha- 
ha-we,  both  exchanging  terms  of  relationship  and  carefully  observing 
the  accompanying  ceremonial  etiquette.  Ha-ha- we,  as  was  his  unva- 
rying custom,  carefully  cleaned  the  two  pipes,  and  laid  them  on  the 
floor  by  the  side  of  the  fireplace. 

Wi-ki  and  Ko-pe-li  then  took  up  their  rattles  again  and  gave  the 
signal  to  begin  a  new  series  of  songs.  As  the  first  song  proceeded, 
Ha-ha-we  took  a  pinch  of  meal,  cast  a  portion  to  the  north  and  the 
remainder  on  different  parts  of  the  sand  mosaic.  He  then  dipped  his 
aspergill  in  the  liquid  before  him  four  times,  each  time  sprinkling  the 
picture.  He  followed  this  immediately  by  a  motion  of  the  hand, 
asperging  to  the  north,  west,  south,  east,  and  the  above,  bringing  his 
aspergill  down  at  the  end  of  the  circuit  to  again  accompany  the  rattles. 
This  he  repeated  several  times,  beginning  with  the  successive  cardinal 
points  in  the  order  which  has  been  mentioned  above. 

The  song  then  changed,  Wi-ki  and  K6-pe-li  both  taking  a  crook 
from  the  picture,  and  the  three  priests,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Kwa-a,  and 
Ka-tci,  taking  wu-pd-pa-ho(s).  As  the  song  went  on,  they  raised  these 
above  their  heads,  and,  waving  them  to  the  cardinal  points  ceremoni- 
ally, brought  them  down  several  times  until  the  attached  na-kivd-kwo- 
ci(s)  touched  the  altar,  the  accompanying  song  assuming  a  peculiarly 
weird  character  at  these  times.  Wi-ki  then  told  Ha-ha-we  to  use 
the  thunder  pd-ho,  and  this  priest  took  the  whizzer  from  the  basket 
at  his  right,  which  was  at  the  left  of  the  east  gate,  and,  dipping  its 
end  in  the  charm  liquid  of  the  nd-kwi-pi,  stood  and  rapidly  twirled 
it  so  that  it  emitted  a  peculiar  sound  four  successive  times.  He  then 
mounted  the  ladder  and  stood  on  the  roof  on  the  south  side,  and  there 
whirled  the  whizzer,1  making  the  same  number  of  sounds  as  in  the 
chamber  below. 

1  The  whizzer  was  a  thin  wooden  slab,  to  a  hole  at  one  end  of  the  whizzer.     The 

slightly  rounded  on  each  face  and  termi-  form  of  different  whizzers  varies,  but  is 

nated  in   three  terraces.     The  faces  are  generally  that  which  has  been  described, 

decorated  with  longitudinal  zigzag  bands  They  are  called  tu-vwok' -pi(s)  (whirligig 

or  lines.    The  attached  string  is  composed  criers), 
of  many  braided  strands,  and  is  fastened 


34  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

He  descended  to  his  former  position  by  the  east  gate  of  the  sand 
picture,  and,  joining  the  singing  which  had  continued  during  his  ab- 
sence, began  anew  his  former  ceremonial  duties  of  casting  meal  to 
different  points  of  the  room,  upon  the  sand  mosaic,  and  in  proper 
sequence  asperging  to  the  cardinal  points  and  the  picture. 

When  the  song  next  changed,1  Ka-kap-ti  took  up  one  of  the  ancient 
stone  hoes  from  about  the  sand  picture  and  beat  upon  the  floor  with  it 
in  time  with  the  song  and  rattles.2  The  last  two  songs  were  particu- 
larly melodious,  and  were,  without  exception,  the  finest  of  the  series. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  sixteen  songs,  eight  before  and  eight  after 
the  smoking  of  the  great  pipe,  Wi-ki  said  a  prayer,  and  at  its  close 
sprinkled  prayer-meal  upon  the  ti-po-ni(s)  and  the  sand  picture.  K6- 
pe-li  followed  with  a  prayer,  and  likewise  cast  an  offering  of  meal 
upon  the  ti-po-ni(s)  and  sand  altar.  Na-syun'-we-ve  prayed,  making  his 
offering,  and  Ha-ha- we,  followed  by  Ka-tci,  did  the  same.  Ka-kap-ti, 
with  signs  of  deep  emotion,  offered  a  very  fervent  prayer,  to  which  all 
earnestly  responded.  It  will  be  seen  later  that  Ka-kap-ti  carried  the 
consecrated  prayer-sticks  to  the  distant  shrines,  and  possibly  this  fact 
accounts  for  his  fervor  at  this  time.  Ha-ha-we  then  lit  the  pipes  and 
passed  them  to  Wi-ki  and  Ko-pe-li,  as  above  described,  after  which 
each  in  turn  smoked  ceremonially,  exchanging  terms  of  brotherhood 
and  relationship,  and  the  consecration  of  the  pd-ho(s)  was  finished. 

At  the  close  of  the  smoke  Ha-ha-we  arranged  thepd-ho(s)  in  four 
bundles,  and  Ka-kap-ti  laid  a  na-kwd-kwo-ci  upon  them.  Wi-ki  filled 

1  New  song  (second  of  second  series).  on  the  eighth  day  is  the  Ma-kwdn-ta,  who 

2  Wi-ki  explained  this  by  the  statement  called  out  this  and  other  archaic  terras  at 
that  Kd-kap-ti  was  telegraphing  to  the  old  the  cottonwood  bower  at  the  public  exhi- 
Tca-md-hi-a  at  the  distant  pueblo  Acoma,  bitions  on  the  eighth  and  ninth  days. 

as  a  signal  that  the  Hopi  were  now  wor-  All  the  Antelope  priests  insisted  that 
shiping,  asking  them  to  come,  which  call,  there  was  a  Snake  Antelope  assembly  at 
said  Wf-ki,  was  answered.  They  came  to  Acoma,  and  this  is  historically  supported 
the  Mon'-kiva  on  the  night  of  the  eighth  by  Espejo,  who  has  mentioned  the  Snake 
day.  dance  performed  at  that  pueblo  (see  Ban- 
It  has  been  suggested  that  the  Tca-md-  delier.) 
hi-a  who  responded  and  came  to  Wal'-pi 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 


35 


a  small  bag  with  sacred  meal  from  the  tray  near  him,  and  Ka-kap-ti 
rose  and  stood  near  the  fireplace  on  the  north  side,  facing  the  west. 
Wi-ki  handed  him  a  white  kilt  with  green,  black,  and  red  border,  which 
he  tied  about  his  waist.  While  he  was  doing  this,  Wi-ki  rolled  up  the 
pd-ho(s)  in  a  square  piece  of  cloth.  This  bundle  he  placed  in  a  white 
ceremonial  blanket  with  white  and  red  border,  tying  two  opposite  cor- 
ners tightly  about  the  bundle,  and  the  others  in  such  a  way  that  it 


Ka-kap-ti  leaving  the  Kiva. 

could  be  put  over  the  shoulder.  Wi-ki  then  affixed  a  white  na-kwd-td 
to  Ka-kap-ti' s  scalp-lock,  and  put  a  little  honey  on  the  sole  of  each  of 
his  feet,  the  inside  of  each  hand,  the  top  of  his  head,  over  his  heart, 
on  his  tongue,  and  in  the  middle  of  his  back. 

He  next  handed  him  the  small  bag  of  sacred  meal  and  the  blanket  in 
which  were  the  pd-ho(s),  which  Ka-kap-ti  slung  over  his  left  shoulder. 
Na-syun'-we-ve  placed  in  his  hand  a  pa-ho  for  Md-sau-wuh  and  a 
morsel  of  food,  and  Wi-ki  then  told  him  to  hasten  away  to  the  shrines. 


36  THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

Ka-kap-ti  without  a  word  leaped  up  the  ladder,  rushed  through  the 
village,  past  the  sacred  rock,  by  the  three  kivas  on  the  east  side  of  the 
main  plaza,  and  across  the  narrow  neck  of  land  by  which  one  enters 
Wal'-pi.  He  went  down  to  the  plain  by  the  trail  on  the  north  side  of 
Si-tcom'-o-vi,  running  directly  to  the  shrine  of  Md-sau-wuh,  where  he 
knelt  and  deposited  the  offering  to  the  death-god.  He  then  rose  and 
took  the  trail  across  the  plain  directly  north,  running  as  fast  as  he  could, 
and  ultimately  passing  out  of  sight.  He  was  said  to  have  gone  to  a 
shrine  (pa-h6-ki)  far  outside  of  all  cultivated  Wal'-pi  fields,  or  as  far  as 
the  main  spring  of  Mi-con-in-o-vi.  After  he  had  placed  the  offering  or 
green  pd-ho  in  that  shrine,  he  turned  to  the  west  and  ran  to  the  shrine 
near  the  great  spring  of  Mi-con-in-o-vi.  He  then  hastened  to  a  south 
shrine  about  the  same  distance  from  Wal'-pi,  and  finally  to  the  place  of 
offering  at  the  east.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  made  a  circuit  with  a 
radius  of  about  six  miles  in  a  sinistral  direction  around  Wal'-pi  as  a 
centre.  At  the  four  shrines  (pa-ho-ki(s))  of  the  cardinal  points  he 
deposited,  it  was  said,  a  na-kwd-kwo-ci  and  a  pa-ho.  We  shall  later  see 
that  day  by  day  the  length  of  his  run  diminished,  and  that  on  the  last 
day  he  did  not  leave  the  mesa  top,  but  placed  the  pd-ho(s)  on  different 
sides  of  the  village  corresponding  to  the  same  cardinal  points.  It  is 
obligatory  upon  Ka-kap-ti,  when  he  is  making  these  deposits,  to  run 
the  whole  distance,  and  he  did  so  as  far  as  we  could  see  him  on  the  first 
day,  while  on  later  days  we  observed  him  running  the  whole  circuit. 

The  ceremony  of  giving  Ka-kap-ti  the  pd-ho(s)  ended  at  about  half 
past  one,  and  at  half  past  five  Ka-kap-ti  returned,  still  running  even 
when  he  went  up  the  trail  of  the  mesa.  As  he  entered  the  Mon'-kiva  he 
approached  the  sand  picture  and  sprinkled  what  meal  remained  in  his 
hand  upon  it,  and  Wi-ki  said,  "  Kwa-kwai"  Ka-kap-ti  took  off  his  kilt, 
which  he  handed  to  Wi-ki,  who  folded  it  and  laid  it  on  the  banquette 
at  the  end  of  the  kiva.  He  also  passed  Wi-ki  the  empty  blanket  in 
which  the  pd-ho(s)  had  been  carried.  Wi-ki  untied  the  white  feather 
from  Ka-kap-ti' s  hair,  and  the  latter,  panting  heavily  from  his  violent 
exercise,  took  his  seat  near  the  fireplace  and  spoke  for  the  first  time 
since  his  return.  When  Ka-kap-ti  left  the  kiva  to  carry  the  pd-ho(s), 
Ka-tci  went  out  also  taking  pd-ho(s)  and  a  small  bundle  with  morsels 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI.        37 

of  food.  He  went  down  the  south  trail,  but  his  subsequent  course  was 
not  watched,  nor  was  any  information  elicited  as  to  the  significance  of 
his  departure. 

No  ceremonies  took  place  in  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva  on  this  day, 
although  the  nd-tci  was  observed  in  the  matting  of  the  hatchway. 
Ko-pe-li,  however,  ate  and  slept  in  the  Snake  chamber,  occupying  his 
time  with  carding  and  spinning  cotton  for  pa-ho  strings.     He  repeat- 
edly went    out,  and   always  brought  his  own  food  from  his  house, 
returning  the  empty  food  basins  to  the  members  of  his  household. 
This  was  a  custom  with  the  members  of  the  Snake  Fraternity  on  sub- 
sequent days,  when  all  ate  in  the  kiva. 
Except  on  the  last  day,  when  the  feast 
took  place,   the  women  never  brought 
food  to  the  Snake  priests,  but  the  men 
themselves  procured  it  from  their  houses 
and  always  personally  returned  the  food 
vessels. 

During  this  day  the  Snake  ti-po-ni, 
inclosed    in    its    wrappings,    was    sus- 
pended on  the  wall  of  the  kiva,  and          Jar  in  which  the .Snakes  are  kept 
K6-pe-li  had  a  single  snake  which  he  freely  showed  to  visitors.     At 
dusk  he  took  down  the  na-tci  from  the  matting  at  the  hatchway. 

THIRD    DAY    (LUOTA-LA,    SECOND    CEREMONIAL    DAY). 

This  day  was  the  first  of  the  four  in  which  the  snake  hunts  occurred, 
and  on  it  and  each  successive  day  they  took  place  in  the  plain  in  the 
following  quarters  :  on  Saturday  the  hunt  was  to  the  north,  on  Sun- 
day to  the  west,  on  Monday  to  the  south,  and  on  Tuesday  to  the  east.  \ 
During  the  hunt  in  any  one  of  these  quarters,  the  Indians,  not  mem- 
bers of  these  priesthoods,  whose  fields  happened  to  be  in  that  section, 
did  not  work1  in  them,  and  it  was  regarded  injurious  to  follow  the 

1  On    one   occasion   K<5-pe-li   carefully  to  meet  us,  he  anxiously  asked  which  way 

avoided    meeting   Ka"-kap-ti,  the   courier,  Kd-kap-ti   had  taken  in  passing  through 

when  on  his  way  to  deposit  the  offerings  the  village,  in  order  to  avoid  him. 
at  the  four  cardinal  shrines.    .Happening 


38        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

hunters  and  bad  luck  to  meet  them.  Al- 
though I  was  very  anxious  to  accompany 
the  snake  hunters,  and  tried  in  every  way 
to  get  permission  either  for  Mr.  Owens  or 
myself  to  do  so,  it  was  not  possible  to 
persuade  the  priests  to  allow  us  to  go 
with  them.1  They  said  that  their  chief 
objection  was  that  the  four  novices  or 
ke-le(s)  might  be  bitten  in  the  hunt,  and 
that  the  snakes  would  be  angry  with 
them  if  we  were  allowed  to  take  part  in 
the  ceremony  of  their  capture.  These 
events  have,  however,  been  witnessed  by 
other  observers  in  previous  years,  as  will 
appear  in  a  description  to  be  quoted  later. 
On  Saturday  morning,  for  the  first 

1  Similar   objections  were  made  to  our  accom- 
panying the  snake  hunters  in  the  presentation  of 
1893. 

2  The  snake-whip  (tcu-vwu-vwd-pi)  consists  of  a 
shaft  about  six  inches  long,  to  the  back  of  which 
is  tied   three,  sometimes  two,  eagle   tail-feathers. 
The  shaft   is   of   cottonwood,  cylindrical,  slightly 
pointed  at  one  end,  and  is  stained  red.     It  is  or- 
namented on  one  side  with  the  incised  figure  of  a 
rattlesnake  painted  blue  (green),  the  head  (ko-tu- 
ad-ta)  of  which  is  triangular,  with  two   anterior 
projections  representing  a  tongue.     The  feathers 
are  bound  to  one  side  of  the  shaft,  opposite  the 
symbol  of  the  rattlesnake,  by  a  buckskin   thong 
(cu-me-ad-ta) .     To  the  tip  of  each  feather  is  tied 
a  small  bluebird  feather.     Among  the  snake-whips 
which   I   have   examined,    there   was   one   which 
had  a  double  handle,  and  a  similar  double-handled 
snake-whip  is  figured  by  Mindeleff,  but  the  major- 
ity of  the  snake-whips  used  at  Wal'-pi  had  a  single 

Snake- Whip.2  shaft. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 


39 


time,  a  majority  of  the  Tcu'-arwymp-tiryaty  assembled  in  the  Wi-kwal'~ 
i-o-bi  kiva  and  prepared  for  the  hunt.  They  brought  with  them 
planting-sticks  and  hoes,  which  were  laid  on  the  raised  hatchway  of 
the  kiva  while  their  owners  descended  to  the  chamber  to  prepare  for 
the  hunt. 

Each  hunter  rubbed  his  body  all  over  with  red  iron  oxide  (cu-ta) 
and  fastened  a  na-kwd-ta,  stained  with  the  same  color,  to  his  scalp- 
lock.  His  back  hair  was  tied  in  the  ordinary  manner,  while  that 
of  the  sides  fell  to  his  shoulders.  A  simple  undecorated  cloth  was 
tied  as  a  kilt  about  his  loins,  and  he  wore  moccasins,  but  with  these 
exceptions  he  was  without  clothing.  Besides  his  hoe  or  planting- 
stick  each  priest  carried  in  his  hand  a  little  red  buckskin  bag  with 
fringe  at  each  lower  corner  and  a  handle  of  the  same  material.  It 
was  said  to  contain  sacred  meal  with  which  to  sprinkle  the  snakes 


Position  of  the  Priests  when  the  Pa-ho(s)  were  given  to  the  Snake  Chief. 

when  they  were  captured.  Each  priest  also  had  his  snake-whip  in 
his  hand,  and  a  canvas  bag  in  which  to  carry  the  reptiles  he  might 
capture. 

When  the  snake  hunters  returned  to  the  kiva,  they  deposited  the 
bags  in  which  the  snakes  were  confined  by  the  fireplace,  and  all  the 


40  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

chiefs  solemnly  smoked  upon  them.  Wi-ki  came  in  and  sprinkled 
each  bag  with  corn  pollen.  Then  the  snakes  were  taken  out  one  by 
one,  and  put  in  jars  which  were  placed  at  the  west  end  of  the  kiva. 
There  were  four  of  these  jars,  and  when  not  in  use  they  were  kept 
in  a  cave  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  mesa. 

The  exercises,  during  which  the  Antelope  chief  gave  the  pd-ho(s) 
to  the  Snake  chief  on  each  day  of  the  snake  hunt,  were  important. 
Before  departing  for  the  snake  hunts  K6-pe-li  received  from  Wi-ki 
pd-ho(s)  and  a  na-kwd-kwo-ci  to  deposit  in  the  Snake  house  of  the 
quarter  in  which  he  was  to  hunt.  Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we, 
Ka-tci,  and  the  Snake  chief  gathered  about  a  tray  in  which  were  two 
pd~ho(s),  near  the  fireplace  in  the  Mon'-kiva,  in  the  positions  indicated 
in  the  cut. 

The  pd-ho(s)  were  then  smoked  upon  by  the  priests  in  turn.  The 
pipe-lighter  first  lit  the  ceremonial  pipe,  and,  holding  up  the  tray, 
puffed  directly  on  the  pd-ho(s).  The  Antelope  chief  followed,  and  the 
other  priests  in  turn,  the  chief  of  the  Snakes  being  the  last  to  smoke. 
Ha-ha-we  was  observed  to  be  most  devout  in  this  duty.  The  pipe 
was  handed  back  to  Wi-ki  in  the  reverse  order,  who,  having  again 
smoked,  laid  it  on  the  floor.  Wi-ki  now  took  the  pd-ho(s)  from  the 
tray,  and,  holding  them  in  his  right  hand,  prayed  four  or  five  minutes, 
and  then  passed  the  prayer-sticks  to  Ko-pe-li,  who  received  them  in  his 
left  hand.  Na-syun'-we-ve  next  prayed,  and  was  followed  by  Ha-ha-we, 
whose  prayer  was  most  fervent.  As  he  prayed  he  held  the  ceremonial 
pipe  in  one  hand,  and  resumed  his  smoke  after  this  act  of  devotion. 
K6-pe-li  said  a  short,  earnest  prayer  to  which  the  others  emphatically 
responded,  and  then  he  withdrew.  Upon  entering  the  other  kiva, 
where  the  Snake  priests  awaited  him  standing,  he  held  the  two  p&~ 
ho(s) l  and  the  na-kwd-kwo-ci  in  his  hand,  and  said  a  prayer  to  which 
the  others  responded.  They  then  followed  him  to  the  snake  hunt. 

On  the  first  snake  hunt  the  Snake  priests  formed  in  line  near  their 
kiva  and  filed  under  the  arcade  into  the  dance  rock  plaza,  and  contin- 

1  These  pa-ho(s)  did  not  vary  in  length  but  were  always  the  length  of  the  middle 
on  the  four  successive  days  of  the  hunt,  finger. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI.        41 

ued  past  the  narrow  place  in  the  mesa  to  the  east  of  Wal'-pi,  and  then 
down  the  trail  north  of  Si-tcom'-o-vi.  K6-pe-li  left  a  red  na-kwd-kwo-ci 
at  the  shrine  of  Md-sau-wuh,1  and  each  one  of  the  line  halted  and  made 
a  prayer  offering  at  the  same  place. 

After  the  departure  of  Ko-pe-li,  Wi-ki  renovated  all  wooden  sticks 
or  "  crooks  "  about  the  altar,  and  the  others  began  the  manufacture  of 
the  pd-ho(s),  to  be  carried  to  the  world  quarter  shrines  after  their  cere- 
monial consecration  by  the  sixteen  traditional  songs.  These  did  not 
differ  from  the  songs  described  above  ;  and  the  pd-ho(s)  were  also  the 
same  as  on  the  preceding  day  except  in  length. 

FOURTH    DAY    (pAIOTl-LA,    THIRD    CEREMONIAL    DAY). 

Exercises  similar  to  those  of  the  third  day  were  conducted  in  the 
Mon'-kiva,  but  the  Snake  kiva  was  deserted,  as  the  Snake  priests  were 
absent  from  the  village,  and  no  one  entered  it.  Sii-pe-la's  wife,  who  is 
the  senior  female  member  of  the  Snake  people,  filled  two  large  bowls 
which  stood  outside  this  kiva  with  water  for  the  Snake  priests  to  drink 
and  bathe  with  on  their  return  from  the  hunt.  During  this  ceremony 
the  priests 2  habitually  slept  on  the  ground  near  the  kiva. 

1  The  shrine  of  Md-sau-wCih  is  one  of  waist  high,  leaving  a  small  recess  open  to 

many  places  of  offering  to  this  deity  which  the  east. 

are  found  near  the  trails  approaching  the  In  this  recess,  which  practically  opens 

villages.     Ordinarily  Md-sau-wuh  shrines  upon  the  trail,  there  are  many  small  clay 

are  simply  heaps  of  sticks  or  piles  of  stones,  dishes   of   the   rudest   pattern.     Some  of 

and  it  is  customary  for  an  Indian,  toiling  these  are  ornamented,  but  as  a  general 

up  the  trail  with  a  heavy  bundle  of  wood  thing  they  are  coarsely  made  and  too  small 

on  the  back,  to  throw  a  small  fragment  to  have  been  used  for  household  purposes, 

from  the  load  upon  these   shrines,  or  to  I  have  repeatedly  observed  women   who 

cast  a  stone  upon  them  as  he  goes  to  his  were  bearing  fuel  on  their  backs  throw  the 

farm.    These  are  offerings  to  Md-sau-wfih,  offering  to  Md-sau-wdh  without  halting, 

the  fire-god  or  deity  of  the  surface  of  the  Their  lips  moved  as  if  in  prayer,  but  I  was 

earth.  unable  to   obtain   from   them   the   words 

The  shrine  referred  to  is,  however,  much  which  they  uttered. 

more  elaborate  than  most  of  these.     One  2  The  faces  of  the  priests  were  very 

side  of  it  is  formed  by  a  large  rock,  and  solemn,  and  men  who  at  other  times  had 

the  others  of  cedar  and  other  sticks  piled  been  very  kindly  disposed  to  me  during 


42  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  Snake  chief  went  into  the  Antelope  kiva, 
and  a  ceremony  in  which  Wi-ki  gave  him  his  feather  offerings,  exactly 
like  that  of  the  day  before,  took  place.  When  the  Snake  chief  re- 
turned to  his  kiva,  all  the  Snake  priests  came  out  dressed  in  the  appro- 
priate way  for  the  hunt,  and  gathered  up  the  hoes,  sticks,  and  other 
implements  used  in  the  capture  of  the  snakes,  which  had  been  laid 
over  night  upon  the  roof  of  the  kiva.  In  solemn  procession  they  then 
filed  away  to  the  snake  hunt  in  the  plain  at  the  west.  Before  the 
Snake  men  left  the  room,  a  little  girl  brought  a  tray  of  meal  and 
tapped  with  her  foot  upon  the  roof  of  the  chamber.  At  her  signal, 
the  Snake  chief  came  up  and  took  the  tray.  This  meal  was  possibly 
sprinkled  upon  the  captured  snakes,  but  corn  pollen  is  said  to  be  used 
for  this  purpose. 

While  the  Snake  men  were  'absent  on  the  hunt,  a  repetition  of  the 
sixteen  song  ceremony  of  consecrating  the  feather  offerings  *  by  the 
Antelopes  took  place.  This  ceremony  was  performed,  as  on  former 
days,  at  about  noon,  and  did  not  differ  substantially  from  that  which 
has  been  described.2  Yellow,  green,  red,  white,  black,  and  variegated 
herbs,  with  a  little  honey,  were  to-day  added  to  the  charm  liquid  used 
by  Ha-ha-we  in  asperging.  I  am  not  sure  whether  this  mixture 

the  Snake  Dance  had  a  stern  and  forbid-          1.  Twelve  ca-kwd-pa-ho(s). 
ding  manner  both  in  the  kiva  and  outside.          2.  Eight  black  pd-ho(s). 
Whenever  they  spoke  to  me  it  was  in  a          3.  Eight  white  na-kwd-kwo-ci(s). 
whisper  and  in  monosyllables.     With  the          4.  Numerous  red  na-kwd-kwo-ci(s). 
exception    of    the    initiation    ceremonies,          Of  the  first  Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve  and 

which  will  later  be  described,  no  woman  Ka"-tci  made  four  each.      Wi-ki,   HaVha- 

entered   the   kiva  of   the  Snakes  at  any  we,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  and  Kwa*-a  each  made 

time.     If  a  woman  approached  the  Snake  two  black  pd-ho(s),  and  Na-syun'-we-ve 

chamber  she  never  stepped  upon  the  roof,  and  Ka"-tci  a  white  na-kwd-kwo-ci.    Later 

nor  spoke  to  the  person  who  came  up  to  all  the  others  did  the  same.     These  were 

get  what  she  had  brought.     Strange  be-  laid  on  an   offering  of  shells  which  I  had 

liefs  prevail  as  to  the  evil  influences  which  brought. 

would  come  to  a  woman  addressed  by  the          2  The   participants   in   1893   were  the 

Snake  priests  at  this  time.  same  as  yesterday,  with  the  addition  of 

1  The  following  pd-ho(s)  were  made  on  Ka"-tci. 
the  fourth  day  :  — 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 


43 


Ho-ko-na-ma-na,   or   Butterfly- Virgin   Slab. 

varied  from  day  to  day,  but  on  Thursday  a  pinch  of  corn  pollen  was 
dropped  into  it. 

On  this  morning  (Sunday)  there  appeared  in  the  Mon'-kiva  for  the 
first  time  the  slab  called  the  Ho-kti-na-mrf-na,  "  butterfly-virgin/'  nicely 
repainted  by  Ha-ha-we.  It  was  placed  back  of  the  altar  on  the  south 
side,  where  it  remained  during  the  ceremonies  of  the  following  days, 
not  being  touched  by  any  of  the  priests.  Ho-ko-na-ma-na  is  a  smooth 
stone  slab  with  rounded 
corners,  fourteen  inches 
long,  ten  inches  broad, 
and  an  inch  and  a  half 
thick.  This  slab  was  dec- 
orated with  a  symbolic 
figure  of  the  rain-clouds, 
two  butterflies,  and  sev- 
eral tadpoles,  as  shown 
in  the  cut. 

Another  object  on  the  altar  which  was  noticed  this  morning  for  the 
first  time  was  a  jar  called  the  pat'-ne.  It  was  made  of  clay,  stained 
a  dark  red,  with  indistinct  ornamentations  in  black.  In  shape  it  was 


Pat-ne. 


44  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

almost  spherical,  and  around  the  neck  was  tied  a  string,  from  which 
hung  at  equal  intervals  four  other  strings  with  feathers  attached.  The 
two  terraced  objects  on  the  surface  of  the  bowl,  as  shown  in  the  cut, 
are  duplicated  on  the  other  side.  They  are  free  from  the  jar  except  at 
its  equator,  from  which  they  rise,  and  represent  rain-clouds. 

The  skins  of  a  skunk,  weasel,  and  coon  were  observed  on  the  floor 
back  of  the  altar. 

The  departure  of  the  snake  hunters  on  Sunday  was  watched,  and 
their  course  followed  until  they  separated  in  the  plain  at  the  west  end 
of  the  mesa.  They  followed  the  Mi-con'-in-o-vi  trail  half  way  down 
the  mesa,  to  the  petrified  wood  shrine,  where  each  one  deposited  a 
na-kwd-kwo-ci,1  which  he  sprinkled  with  sacred  meal.  The  priests  then 
made  their  way  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  pictographs  of  the  giant 
eagle,  in  a  cleft  in  a  rock  back  of  which  the  Snake  house  of  the  west 
is  situated.  Here  they  left  the  /ja-Ao(s)  which  Wi-ki  had  given  to 
Ko-pe-li,  and  when  we  visited  the  cleft  after  their  departure  we  noticed 
also  a  large  black  pd-ho.  From  this  place  the  Snake  priests  separated 
into  squads,  who  scoured  the  plain  for  the  snakes.  They  strongly  ob- 
jected to  our  witnessing  the  ceremonials  which  took  place  at  that  time. 

The  following  account  of  the  capture  of  the  snakes  by  Messrs. 
Stephen  and  Messenger  appeared  in  the  "  New  York  World  :  "  — 

"  Presently  they  (Snake  priests)  broke  into  groups  of  two  and  three, 
and  then  began  cautiously  to  peer  and  poke  among  rocks  and  bushes 
for  the  snake  mother's  children.  In  a  short  time  a  low  call  came  from 
a  man  who  was  thrusting  his  stick  into  a  dense  clump  of  greasewood, 
and  as  the  hunters  gathered  there  it  was  found  to  be  a  large  rattle- 
snake lying  in  the  heart  of  the  thicket.  Without  hesitation  they  at 
once  proceeded  to  cut  away  the  bushes  with  their  hoes,  and  strangely 
enough,  although  the  snake  lay  in  coil  and  watched  them,  it  made  no 
rattling  or  other  display  of  anger.  One  of  the  twigs  fell  upon  it,  and 
the  man  nearest  stooped  down  and  deliberately  lifted  the  branch  away. 

1  These  na-kwd-kwo-ci (s)  are  painted  and  that  their  festival  is  being  celebrated, 
red  throughout  the  ceremony  to  inform  the  For  that  reason,  also,  the  Snake  priests 
Snakes  that  the  warriors  are  in  the  field,  and  others  wear  the  red  feather. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI.        45 

"  Each  one  then  sprinkled  a  pinch  of  meal  upon  the  snake,  and  the 
man  who  had  found  it  bent  over  and  tapped  it  lightly  with  the  feath- 
ers of  his  snake-whip,  and  then  it  straightened  out  to  make  off,  but 
just  as  it  relaxed  from  coil,  the  hunter,  using  his  right  hand,  in  which 
he  held  his  snake-whip,  instantly  seized  it  a  few  inches  back  of  the 


if 


,2'  y    '*##"•••'  5B 

Snake   Hunters  descending  the   South  Trail. 

head.  Holding  it  out,  he  gave  it  a  quick  shake,  and  then  proceeded 
to  fold  it  up,  and  put  it  in  one  of  the  small  bags  carried  for  this 
purpose,  showing  no  more  concern  in  its  handling  than  if  it  had  been 
a  ribbon." 

FIFTH    DAY    (tfA-LUc'-TA-LA,   FOURTH    CEREMONIAL    DAY). 

The  ladders  of  both  Snake  and  Antelope  kivas  were  gayly  decorated 
this  morning,  for  the  first  time,  with  a  new  object,  a  bow  and  arrows 
with  red  horsehair  hanging  from  the  bow-string.  Within  the  Ante- 


46  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

lope  room  cornstalks,  bean,  melon,  and  squash  vines,  brought  in  by 
Ka-kap-ti,  were  placed  back  of  the  altar,  and  four  small  gourd  water- 
bottles,  each  covered  with  a  netting,  appeared  for  the  first  time.  On 
the  hatchway,  also,  there  was  a  significant  addition.  Fresh  brown 
sand  had  been  sprinkled  over  this  portion  of  the  two  kivas,  probably 
to  recall  the  traditions  of  olden  times,  for  this  was  the  fourth  ceremo- 
nial day.  There  are  four  chambers  in  the  under  world,  and  possibly 
the  placing  of  fresh  sand  around  the  kiva  entrance  may  typify  or 
commemorate  the  fact  that  each  ceremonial  day  represents  one  of  these, 
and  that  on  the  fifth  the  ancestors  of  the  Hopi  came  to  their  present 
abode,  the  earth's  surface. 

The  Antelope  sand  picture  was  fresh  and  bright,  having  been  re- 
touched this  morning  by  Na-syuii'-we-ve.  At  about  nine  o'clock,  as 
on  former  days  of  the  Snake  hunt,  the  offerings  were  given  to  K6-pe-li 
by  Wi-ki.  The  snake  hunters  went  down  the  south  trail  and  deposited 
their  pd-ho  in  a  shrine  near  Wi-ki's  house  in  the  plain. 

In  the  singing  of  the  sixteen  songs  about  the  sand  picture  on  this 
day  there  was  one  variation.  Just  before  Wi-ki  asked  for  the  light 
to  use  in  the  (P-mow-uk  pipe  ceremony,  a  girl  came  in  and  silently 
squatted  back  of  the  line  of  Antelopes  on  the  north  side  of  the  sand 
mosaic.1  During  the  songs  she  beat  time  with  a  ca-Jcwd-pa-ho,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  prayers  which  followed  the  last  of  the  sixteen  songs, 
she  left  the  kiva  after  having  scattered  meal  as  an  offering  upon  the 
altar. 

Ka-kap-ti  was  dressed  and  anointed  with  honey  by  Wi-ki  in  the 
same  manner  as  on  former  days.  His  smaller  circuit  to-day  brought 
him  back  into  the  kiva  in  about  an  hour,  and  the  last  offering  was 
made  at  a  shrine  near  the  sun  spring,  Ta-wa-pa,  before  he  came  up 
the  south  trail  to  Wal'-pi.  It  was  noticed  that  Ka-kap-ti  wore  a  red 
na-kwa-ta  in  his  hair,  in  place  of  the  white  one  of  previous  days. 

Up  to  Monday  the  nd-tci,  or  symbol  by  which  the  people  know  that 
the  ceremonials  were  going  on  in  the  two  kivas,  was  a  black  pd-ho 

1  This  was  also  the  first  appearance  of  the  girl  in  the  1893  celebration. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL  47 

with  eagle  feathers  tied  to  it,  placed  in  the  straw  matting.     The  shafts 
of  this  standard  were  not  ornamented,  and  were  identical  in  the  two 


A-wa-ta-na-tci  of  the  Antelope   Kiva. 


kiva(s).     They  were  set  in  place  at  sunrise  each  day,  and  taken  into 
the  kiva  at  sunset.     Every  morning,  when  they  were  placed  in  position 


48        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

at  sunrise  by  their  respective  chiefs,  a  pinch  of  meal  was  thrown  to- 
wards the  sun.  The  more  conspicuous  d-wa-ta-nd-tci(s]  were  not  hung 
upon  the  ladders  until  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day. 

The  d-wa-ta-nd-tci  of  the  Antelopes  hung  across  the  ladder  of  the 
Mon'-kiva  about  ten  feet  above  the  hatchway.     It  consisted  of  a  bow, 

slightly  bent,  tied  to  the  ladder  by 
yucca  threads.  Two  blunt  arrows 
were  fastened  to  it,  and  from  the 
string  hung  long  red-stained  horse- 
hairs thickly  crowded  together.  An 
eagle  tail-feather  was  attached  to 
each  end  of  the  bow,  and  two  wea- 
sel skins  depended  from  the  middle 
of  the  string.  In  addition  to  the 
three  skunk  skins  at  each  end  of 
the  bow  there  was  also  a  weasel 
skin  which  had  been  on  the  altar 
the  previous  day. 

The  d-wa-ta-nd-tci  of  the  Snake 
Fraternity  was  hung  across  the  lad- 
der of  their  kiva  about  the  same 
distance  above  the  hatchway,  but 
nearer  the  end  of  the  ladder  than 
the  Antelope  standard. 

It  was  similar  to  that  of  the  An- 
telopes, but  was  stouter.  The  arrows 

were  armed  with  sharpened  stone  points,  and  three  eagle  feathers  were 
attached  to  the  bowstring.  At  one  extremity  of  the  bow  there  were 
three  skunk  and  two  weasel  skins,  and  at  the  other  end  hung  three 
skunk  skins,  and  a  single  weasel  skin.  The  red  horsehair  fringe  was 
neither  so  long  nor  so  thick  as  that  of  the  Antelope  d-wa-ta-nd-tci. 
The  following  pd-ho(s)  were  made  on  the  fifth  day  :  — 

1.  Sixteen  ca-kwd-pa-ho(s). 

2.  One  ho-tum-ni-pa-ho,  and  one  additional  ca-kwd-pa-ho. 


A-wa-ta-na-tci  of  the  Snake  Kiva 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  49 

3.  Numerous  na-kwd-kwo-ci(s). 

Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Kwa-a,  and  Ka-tci  each  made  four  ca-kwd- 
pa-ho(s)  for  the  rain-gods  of  the  world  quarters,  and  Na-syun'-we-ve 
an  additional  pd-ho  for  Md-sau-wuh.  The  na-kwd-kwo-ci(s)  or  per- 
sonal offerings  were  manufactured  by  all  the  priests.  Wi-ki  likewise 
made  two  additional  blue  j)d-ho(s)  for  K6-pe-li  to  take  on  the  snake 
hunt  the  morning  of  the  next  day. 

The  sixteen  songs  by  which  the  prayer-sticks  were  consecrated  were 
the  same  as  on  former  days,  but  the  cheeks  of  the  Antelope  priests 
were  painted  for  the  first  time  with  sesqui-oxide  of  iron,  and  each  wore 
a  red-stained  feather  in  his  hair. 

SIXTH    DAY    (CUOTA'-LA,    FIRST    CEREMONIAL   DAY). 

Early  on  Tuesday  morning  Ha-ha-we  refilled  his  bowl  with  charm 
liquid,  pouring  into  the  vessel  first  from  the  north  side,  then  from  the 
west,  south,  east,  above,  and  once  more  corresponding  to  the  below.  At 
this  time  Na-syun'-we-ve  was  retouching  the  sand  mosaic,  the  figures  of 
which  had  become  more  or  less  obscure  on  account  of  the  liquid  and 
meal  which  had  been  scattered  upon  it  in  the  song  ceremonials  of  the 
afternoon  before. 

The  first  event  on  this  morning,  as  on  all  the  four  days  on  which 
the  snake  hunts  took  place,  was  the  delivery  by  Wi-ki  of  the  pd-ho(s) 
to  the  Snake  chief.  There  was  a  slight  variation  in  the  ceremony 
performed  this  morning  from  those  on  preceding  days ;  but,  although 
by  no  means  important,  still  it  may  be  worth  while  to  describe  it. 

Wi-ki,  Ko-pe-li,  Ha-ha-we,  Hon'-yi,  and  Na-syufi'-we-ve  gathered 
near  the  fireplace  of  the  Mon'-kiva  in  the  early  morning.  K6-pe-li  was 
seated  near  Wi-ki,  who  first  lit  a  pipe  and  smoked  for  some  time  upon 
the  sand  mosaic.  After  an  interval  the  Antelope  chief  handed  the 
pipe  to  the  Snake  chief,  who  said,  "  I-vwd-va"  Wi-ki  responding, 
"  I-tup'-ko"  K6-pe-li  then  smoked  in  silence,  puffing  whiffs  towards 
the  sand  mosaic.  Meanwhile  Ha-ha-we  had  seated  himself  in  the 
position  indicated  in  the  diagram,  and  to  him  Ko-pe-li  passed  the 
lighted  pipe  which  he  had  received  from  the  Antelope  chief.  He 


50 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 


smoked  ceremonially  for  a  short  time,  and  then  gave  the  pipe  to  the 
Snake  chief,  who,  after  smoking,  returned  it  to  Wi-ki.  During  this 
interval  Hon'-yi  was  smoking  without  formally  receiving  the  ceremo- 
nial pipe. 

Wi-ki  then  took  the  pd-ho(s)  from  a  tray  which  stood  between  him- 
self and  Ko-pe-li,  and,  holding  them  in  his  left  hand,  bending  his  head, 
said  a  prayer,  to  which  the  other  priests  responded.  He  then  brought 
his  right  hand  to  the  pd-ho(s),  still  grasped  in  his  left  hand,  and  gave 
them  to  Ko-pe-li,  who  received  them  in  both  hands,  although  he  later 
held  them  in  his  left.  Ha-ha-we  then  said  a  prayer  in  a  low  tone,  and 
Ko-pe-li  followed,  uttering  inaudible  words,  after  which  he  left  the 
kiva  to  join  his  fellow  Snake  priests. 


Ko-pe-li,    The  Snake  Chief. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL        51 

This  ceremony  occurred  at  sunrise,  and  immediately  after  it  the 
Snake  priests  formed  in  line  outside  their  kiva  and  followed  the  trail 
through  Si-tcom'-o-vi  and  Ha-no,  descending  from  the  mesa  on  the 
north  side  of  the  last  mentioned  village.  The  backs  of  the  older 
Snake  priests  were  loaded  with  bundles  of  food,  for  on  this  day,  after 
the  hunt,  the  Snake  priests  had  a  great  feast  at  Ga-ne-lo-ba,  the  sheep 
spring.  On  entering  their  kiva  after  their  departure,  it  was  noted 
that  the  snakes  which  had  been  captured  in  the  previous  hunts  had 
been  placed  in  the  four  jars  at  the  west  end  of  the  room.  There  was 
one  exception,  a  small  snake  in  a  little  bag,  which  for  some  reason 
unknown  to  me  was  kept  separate  from  the  rest. 

While  the  manufacture  of  the  pd-ho(s)  was  going  on  in  the  Mon'- 
kiva  and  we  were  listening  to  the  priest's  explanation  of  the  various 
parts  of  which  they  were  formed,  there  was  a  rap  on  the  roof,  and 
word  was  passed  down  that  a  Ko-ho-ni-no  Indian  had  ar- 
rived with  offerings.     Wr-ki  hurried  up  the  ladder  to  re- 
ceive them,  but  in  his  haste  forgot  his  bag  of  sacred  meal. 
Immediately  one  of  the  priests  spoke  of  this  omission,  and 


m 
another  hurried  after  Wi-ki  with  the  requisite  meal.     Wi-ki 

greeted  the  Ko-ho-ni-no,  and  received  the  presents  which 
he  brought  from  his  home,  the  "  moist  bank  of  the  river," 
and  threw  a  handful  of  meal  along  the  path  of  the  vis- 
itor. The  presents  which  the  Ko-ho-ni-no  brought  were  as 
follows  :  1.  A  water-worn  root  of  a  cottonwood  tree  several 
feet  long,  which  grew  in  the  Grand  Canon,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Colorado  River.  2.  Pi-ba,  tobacco,  and  grass  from  the 
Ko-ho-ni-no  gardens,  "the  place  where  the  clouds  always 
hang."  3.  Willow  sticks  from  the  river  bank.  4.  Damp 
earth,  as  a  "  token  of  the  copious  rains  "  which  had  lately 
fallen  near  their  homes.  These  objects  were  offerings  of  cross-shaped 

,  „       Pa-ho  Stick. 

good-will,  and  their  donor  was  regarded  as  the  bearer  ot 
blessings.     The  objects  were  laid  on  the  floor  east  of  the  sand  picture, 
and  sprinkled  with  meal  and  smoked  upon  ceremonially.      Later  they 
were  used  in  the  manufacture   of  special  pd-ho(s)  and  other  prayer 


52  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

emblems.  The  fate  of  the  cottonwood  root  interested  me  considerably, 
for  it  was  made  into  a  cross-shaped  prayer  offering  and  called  a  wu- 
pd-pa-ho.  The  root  was  whittled  and  polished  into  a  round  stick, 
pointed  at  one  end,  and  marks  called  frog  children,  tadpoles  (pa- 
vat'-i-ya),  were  scratched  on  the  shaft.  A  crosspiece  was  let  into  a 
slot  near  the  other  extremity,  and  upon  this  six  black  dots  representing 
rain  (yok-i)  were  painted,  and  above  them  as  many  semicircular  rain- 
clouds  (O'-mow-uh)  were  depicted.  To  this  wu-pd-pa-ho  were  tied 
many  feathers,  sprigs  of  the  herbs  pam'-na-m  and  kiirn'-yu,  and  a  corn 
husk  package  of  meal  (nu-cu-a-ta).  Ka-tci  was  delegated  by  Wi-ki  to 
deposit  it  at  the  side  of  the  Zuni  trail  a  few  miles  south  of  Wal'-pi. 

The  sixteen  ceremonial  songs  were  sung  at  noon,  and  the  rain-cloud 
pd-ho(s)  sent  out  for  distribution  as  on  former  occasions. 

SEVENTH    DAY     (KO-MOK-TO-TO-KYA). 

This  day  was  a  very  important  one  in  the  Snake  ceremonial,  for  on 
it  was  made,  in  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva,  the  sand  mosaic  or  pon'-ya 
of  the  Snake  priests.  On  the  same  day,  also,  the  snake  charm  liquid 
was  made,  a  ceremony  which  had  never  been  witnessed  by  white  men 
except  Mr.  Owens  and  myself.  This  mystic  rite  has  thus  far  been  one 
of  the  most  securely  guarded  of  all  the  ceremonies,  and  it  was  only  by 
the  kind  help  of  Mr.  Ream  and  the  unusual  confidence  of  the  chiefs 
that  we  were  able  to  be  present  in  the  secret  room. 

As  the  snake  hunts  have  now  been  held  in  the  four  world  quarters, 
there  was  no  departure  of  the  Snake  priests  in  a  body  to  the  fields, 
and  no  ceremonial  delivery  of  the  offerings  to  K6-pe-li.  Several 
snakes  were  added  to  the  collection  on  this  and  the  following  day,  but 
apparently  there  was  no  recognition  of  the  remaining  cardinal  points, 
the  above  and  the  below,  in  formal  snake  hunting. 

The  sixteen  traditional  songs  were  sung  around  the  poft-ya  of  the 
Antelopes  on  this  date,  with  a  few  ceremonial  variations  which  will  be 
noted  in  my  account. 

At  the  close  of  the  day  a  ceremony  of  initiation  was  performed  in 
the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva.  This  drama  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  53 

and  suggestive  of  all  those  connected  with  the  Snake  Dance,  and  has 
never  been  described. 


MAKING   THE    SAND    MOSAIC    OF    THE    SNAKE    PRIESTS. 

The  pon'-ya  of  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva  was  made  by  Les'-ma,  who 
was  repeatedly  prompted  in  his  work  by  others,  and  K6-pe-li,  the 
Snake  chief,  had  no  hand  in  its  production.  Les'-ma,  as  we  shall 
afterwards  see,  personified  the  bear  in  the  public  ceremonies  and  in  the 
initiations,  and  was  one  of  the  most  important  priests  throughout  the 
ceremonial. 

At  about  ten  o'clock,  Les'-ma  swept  the  west  floor  of  the  kiva,  and 
began  the  Snake  pon'-ya.1  A  large  number  of  Snake  priests  were 
present  at  the  time,  and  as  was  always  the  rule  since  the  snakes  had 
been  brought  into  the  kiva,  silence  prevailed,  no  one  speaking  above  a 
whisper.  The  snakes  were  at  the  east  end  of  the  kiva,  some  within, 
some  outside  the  four  jars,  which  were  uncovered. 

Les'-ma  first  sifted  from  an  open  basket  tray  a  layer  of  fine  brown 
sand  upon  the  floor  of  the  kiva,  forming  a  rectangular  field.  He 
then  sprinkled  upon  this,  several  inches  from  the  edge,  another  rec- 
tangle, of  green  sand,  twenty-two  inches  in  length  and  breadth.  This 
formed  the  inner  field,  upon  which,  later,  an  animal  was  depicted. 
After  the  green  field  had  been  made  over  the  brown,  he  sprinkled 
pinches  of  meal  on  it. 

Les'-ma  then  drew  on  the  green  field  a  yellow  rectangular  band 
about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  broad.  He  did  not  follow  a  sinis- 
tral  ceremonial  circuit  in  drawing  these  lines  in  all  instances,  but,  as  a 
rule,  made  the  north,  west,  south,  and  east  sides  in  order.  Taking  a 
handful  of  black  sand,  he  bordered  the  yellow  band  on  each  side  with 
a  narrow  black  line,  first  on  the  north  side  of  the  rectangle,  then  on 
the  west,  and  in  the  same  way  on  the  south,  finishing  on  the  east. 

1  I  reproduced  in   sand    copies  of  this  A  reproduction  of  the  former  I  have  like- 

and  the   O'-mow-uh  mosaic  of  the  Ante-  wise  made  for  the  National  Museum  at 

lopes  in  a  case  of  the  Hemenway  exhibit  Washington, 
in  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Madrid. 


54        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 

He  afterwards  made  a  black  line  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  from 
that  which  lined  the  outer  edge  of  the  yellow  band,  cutting  off  a 
green  border  from  the  green  field  which  extended  outside  the  yellow. 
He  followed  no  ceremonial  order  in  his  work,  but  repeatedly  repaired 
now  one  line  and  then  another,  passing  from  north  to  south  or  from 
east  to  west,  as  the  case  might  be,  or  as  convenience  dictated.  Outside 
of  the  black  line  with  which  he  bordered  the  green,  he  drew  a  red 
stripe  of  about  the  same  width  as  the  yellow  and  green,  forming  another 
band  parallel  to  those  already  made. 

Les'-ma  then  took  a  handful  of  white  sand,  and,  disregarding  the 
sinistral  ceremonial  circuit,  drew  a  band  of  white  outside  the  red.  He 
then  made  a  black  line  outside  the  white  stripe,  and  another  between 
it  and  the  red.  This  border  of  four  colors  having  been  completed,  he 
made  outside  of  it  a  broad  black  zone  as  wide  as  all  the  others  com- 
bined. 

Upon  the  northern  part  of  this  black  border  he  delineated  a  yellow 
snake  with  head  facing  west,  and  body  with  six  zigzags.  His  method 
of  drawing  was  as  follows :  He  first  made  the  outline  of  the  head,  then 
that  of  the  body,  and  filled  in  these  outlines  with  yellow  sand.  Les'-ma 
followed  by  drawing  a  red  line  around  the  head  and  body  of  the  snake, 
continuing  it  into  two  tongue-like  projections.  He  then  made  a  neck- 
lace of  red  lines,  and  five  rattles  of  the  same  colored  sand  on  the  tail, 
and  for  the  eyes  he  dropped  on  the  head  small  pinches  of  black  sand. 
The  green  snake  was  next  made,  on  the  western  part  of  the  black  zone, 
with  the  head  directed  south.  The  mode  of  making  this  snake  was 
identical  with  that  adopted  with  the  yellow,  except  that  the  edge  of 
the  body  and  head,  the  necklace  and  the  rattles,  were  made  with 
white  sand. 

The  red  snake  was  drawn  in  the  same  way  as  the  two  preceding, 
on  the  south  border,  with  head  facing  the  east.  The  border  of  both 
its  head  and  body,  as  well  as  the  tongue  and  necklace,  were  made  of 
yellow  sand. 

Lastly,  the  white  snake  was  drawn  on  the  east  border  with  white 
sand,  and  the  head  was  represented  facing  north.  The  body  and  head 


SAND  MOSAIC  OFTHE  SNAKE  PRIESTS 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL        55 

of  this  snake  were  edged  with  green,  and  the  tongue,  necklace,  and 
rattles  were  the  same  color. 

A  nondescript  animal,1  with  head  facing  south  and  legs  extending 
to  the  east,  was  next  depicted  in  the  middle  of  the  green  field.  This 
was  made  with  yellow  sand,  and  around  it  was  later  placed  a  black 
margin.  Along  the  rim  of  the  tail  at  intervals  spots  were  made  by  a 
more  liberal  deposit  of  black  sand.  Four  radiating  lines,  black,  white, 
red,  and  yellow,  extended  from  the  mouth.  Yellow  sand  and  a  black 
border  were  then  placed  at  the  feet,  and  a  little  red  color  was  added 
to  the  claws.  Last  of  all,  an  oval  red  figure,  representing  a  heart,  was 
made  in  the  middle  of  the  body,  and  from  it  a  line  of  the  same  color 
was  traced  to  the  snout. 

After  this  animal  had  been  made  on  the  green  field,  a  broad  white 
border  was  added  outside  the  black,  carefully  following  a  sinistral  cir- 
cuit. When  the  sand  mosaic  had  been  finished,  K6-pe-li  laid  upon  the 
heart  of  each  snake  in  the  black  border  a  na-kwd-kwo-ci,  with  the 
feather  pointing  towards  the  head,  and  the  string  extending  along  the 
body.  He  also  placed  over  the  heart  of  the  quadruped  in  the  centre 
of  the  field  another  na-kwd-kwo-ci,  the  feather  of  which  extended 
towards  the  neck,  the  string  towards  the  tail. 

Les'-ma  was  thanked  by  Kd-pe-li  and  one  or  two  others  after  he  had 
finished  the  sand  mosaic.  He  silently  smoked  upon  his  work,  and 
as  he  did  so  K6-pe-li  placed  a  bank  of  brown  sand  along  the  western 
border,  in  which  Sii-pe-la  planted  upright  a  row  of  nine  large  eagle 
feathers. 

While  the  sand  mosaic  was  being  made,  K6-pe-li,  Sii-pe-la,  and 
Se-kyau-wis'-ti-wa  were  busily  engaged  making  pd-ho(s).  The  Snake 
chief  left  the  kiva  with  a  small  feather  at  the  beginning  of  the  ceremo- 
nial, and  returned  in  a  few  minutes.  Other  Snake  men  sat  around  in 
silence,  some  smoking,  but  none  speaking  above  a  whisper,  and  several 
priests  came  in,  and  one  or  two  went  out,  as  the  work  was  going  on.2 
The  whittlings  from  the  sticks  used  in  making  the  pd-ho(s)  were  gath- 

1  Called  by  Bourke  a  "  mountain  lion."      of  construction  the  reptiles  were  all  free 

2  While  the  sand  mosaic  was  in  process      in  the  east  end  of  the  kiva. 


56  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

ered  by  K6-pe-li  in  a  bundle,  and  before  leaving  the  kiva  he  sprinkled 
a  little  sacred  meal  and  tobacco  upon  them.  He  then  went  outside  the 
kiva  and  cast  them  over  the  cliff  without  ceremony. 

During  a  part  of  the  time  when  the  altar  was  being  made,  K6-pe-li 
and  the  other  priests  smoked  upon  it.  Ka-no  fashioned  pedestals, 
to  hold  the  gne-lu'k-pi  and  other  objects,  from  two  lumps  of  clay  which 
had  been  brought  in  near  the  close  of  Les'-ma's  work. 

The  three  kinds  of  gne-lu'k-pi,  crooks,  straight  sticks  with  Attached 
corn  husks,  and  the  four  arrows,  were  then  placed  in  position  around  the 
outer  border  of  the  mosaic.  These  were  similar  to  the  objects  around 
the  Antelope  picture,  but  were  differently  placed.  They  were  arranged 
in  position  by  the  Snake  chief,  assisted  by  one  or  two  others,  and  it  was 
noted  that  K6-pe-li  put  the  arrows  at  the  four  corners  in  the  order, 
north,  west,  south,  and  east.  The  Snake  chief  then  took  a  crook  to 
which  was  fastened  a  long  string  na-kwd-kwo-ci  stained  red,  and  placed 
it  by  the  side  of  the  tail  of  the  green  snake  on  the  west  border  of  the 
picture,  between  it  and  the  row  of  feathers.  He  drew  this  string1 
diagonally  across  the  picture  towards  the  head  of  the  red  snake,  allow- 
ing the  feather  to  fall  upon  the  quadruped.  K6-pe-li  placed  a  second 
crook,  with  a  similar  but  longer  string,  by  the  side  of  the  head  of  the 
green  snake,  outside  the  border  of  the  figure,  and  stretched  it  diag- 
onally across  the  mosaic,  likewise  allowing  the  feathers  to  fall  into  the 
rectangular  field.  He  then  placed  two  crooks  side  by  side  in  the  same 
relative  position  at  the  east  side  of  the  picture,  after  which  the  other 
objects  were  set  in  place  apparently  with  order,  but  not  following  any 
rule  which  could  be  discovered.  Sii-pe-la  fastened  to  each  arrow, 
beginning  with  the  northwest  and  following  a  ceremonial  circuit,  a 
large  bundle  of  red-stained  feathers.  To  the  tips  of  these  red  feathers 
were  tied  little  blue  feathers.  The  altar  was  destitute  of  ancient  stone 
hoes,  which  were  so  prominent  in  the  Mon'-kiva,  and  there  were  no 
well-defined  north  and  south  gates,  although  an  interval  was  left 
between  the  two  crooks  on  the  east  side. 

1  The  length  of  this  string  was  four  times  the  distance  from  his  heart  to  the  tip  of 
his  outstretched  middle  finger. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  57 

After  these  things  had  been  placed  about  the  altar,  Su-pe-la  brought 
in  a  buckskin  bag  containing  a  most  heterogeneous  collection  of  ob- 
jects. In  this  were  several  trochus  shells  and  a  half  dozen  unidentified 
bivalves,  the  skulls  and  lower  jaws  of  some  carnivorous  animals,  bears' 
claws  with  skin  adhering,  several  water-worn  stones,  a  stone  hoe,  and 
other  objects.  There  were,  also,  two  stone  fetishes,  one  of  which 
was  brown,  the  other  white  in  color.1 

Les'-ma  now  emptied  a  bag  of  brown  sand  on  the  kiva  floor  north 
of  the  fireplace,  half  way  between  it  and  the  wall,  making  a  small 
conical  mound.  Across  this  mound  he  drew  in  meal  three  lines  cross- 
ing at  common  centre,  and  forming  six  radiating  lines  corresponding  to 
the  cardinal  points.  He  then  laid  upon  the  point  of  intersection  one 
of  the  bandoleers  to  be  worn  by  the  Snake  men  in 
the  public  dance  which  will  be  described  later.  As 
he  did  this,  another  man  tied  a  second  medicine  cord 
about  breast  high  on  the  north  upright  of  the  ladder. 
Les'-ma  placed  a  Ko-ho-ni-no  basket,  a  flat,  brown,  tray- 
like  dish  capable  of  holding  liquid,  on  the  bandoleer. 
After  the  basket  had  been  thus  deposited,  the  bear's 
claws,  skulls,  lower  jaws,  stones,  and  other  objects, 
were  distributed  into  groups  and  placed  at  the  ex- 
tremities of  each  of  the  meal  lines.  The  trochus 
shell,  bivalves,  and  some  other  charms  were  dropped  Snake  Bandoleer 
into  the  basket,  and  Sii-pe-la  added  a  few  bruised  nut-like  objects  and 
sticks. 

At  this  time,  Ko-pe-li  entered  the  kiva  with  his  ti-po-ni?  which  he 
planted  midway  in  the  west  border  of  the  pon'-ya,  and  arranged  two 
fetishes  by  its  side.  The  ceremony  with  which  these  were  taken  from 
the  Moii'-kiva  altar  was  very  simple,  and  there  was  no  special  observance 

1  Wi-ki  later  gave  the  following  as  the  other  shells,  stone  and  crystals  typifying 
objects  used  :  The  feet  and  claws  of  the  the  six  directions. 

bear,  wolf,  and  puma  ;  the  jaw  of  a  puma          2  Up  to  this  time  this  ti-po-ni  had  been 
and  stone  effigy  of  the  same,  trochus  and      with  that  of  the  Antelopes,  as  described 

above. 


58         THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

in  the  Wi-kwar-i-o-bi-kiva  when  they  were  set  in  position.  A  string 
was  stretched  diagonally  across  the  sand  picture  from  the  Snake  ti-po-ni, 
a  little  to  one  side  of  the  middle  line.  Sii-pe-la  brought  into  the  kiva  a 
small  spherical  gourd  of  liquid,  which  was  taken  by  Les'-ma,  who  poured 
the  contents  into  the  basket  from  the  four  cardinal  points,  up,  and 
down,  following  the  sinistral  ceremonial  circuit.  By  this  time  all  the 
Snake  fraternity  had  collected  in  the  kiva,  and  had  arranged  themselves 
in  position  at  the  south  side  without  any  special  regularity.  The  four 
boys  who  were  ke-le(s],  or  novices,  were  seated  in  a  row  on  the  spec- 
tator's dais,  south  of  the  ladder.  The  older  Snake  priests  then  took 
positions  about  the  basket,  Sii-pe-la,  K6-pe-li,  Les'-ma,  and  Mo-mi  in 
line  facing  the  south.  Su-pe-la  handed  some  unknown  object  to  each 
of  the  priests  near  him,  and,  after  they  had  followed  his  example  by 
chewing  it,  they  placed  the  cud  in  the  liquid  of  the  basket.  A  quan- 
tity of  fresh  water  from  the  jars  on  the  roof  of  the  kiva  was  then 
brought  and  poured  without  ceremony  into  the  basket.  After  this 
had  been  done,  the  whole  fraternity  of  Snake  men  assembled  in  the 
room  took  their  snake-whips  in  their  hands,  and,  holding  them  up- 
right, squatted  on  the  floor  facing  the  basket. 

The  pipe-lighter  then  lit  the  ancient  Snake  pipe  and  passed  it  to 
Kd-pe-li,  as  he  did  so  exchanging  terms  of  brotherhood  or  relationship. 
The  Snake  chief  smoked  in  silence,  puffing  smoke  at 
times  into  the  liquid  contained  in  the  basket.  He 
then  handed  the  pipe  to  his  right-hand  neighbor, 
Les'-ma,  who  smoked  into  the  liquid  and  at  the  distant 

7 

altar.     The  pipe  was  then  passed  to  another  priest, 

The  Snake  Chief's  Pipe. 

who  returned  it  to  the  pipe-lighter.  After  this  a  pipe 
was  again  lighted  and  passed  to  Ko-pe-li,  who  smoked  and  handed  it 
to  his  father,  who  was  seated  at  his  left.  Su-pe-la  smoked  and  gave  it 
to  a  priest  at  his  side,  and  although  other  Snake  priests  received  it, 
the  ceremonial  significance  seemed  to  be  lost  after  it  had  been  in  the 
hands  of  the  first  two  or  three  persons.  Many  other  Snake  priests 
now  crowded  into  the  ring,  which  had  become  a  long  ellipse  surround- 
ing the  basket.  All,  one  by  one,  smoked  in  silence  for  a  considerable 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 


59 


time,  generally  puffing  whiffs  of  smoke  into  the  liquid  of  the  basket, 
or  towards  the  altar.     The  pipe  was  at  last  laid  by  the  fireplace,  and 


~> 


-- 


S 

The  Snake  Charm  Altar.1 

Ko-pe-li,   still  sitting,   took  his  rattle  in   his  right  hand  and  prayed 
fervently. 

At  the  close  of  the  prayer  he  shook  it  vigorously  a  few  times,  and 
all  the  priests  in  the  kiva  began  a  rapid,  weird  song.  Mo-mi,  who 
who  sat  opposite  Les'-ma,  held  upright  in  the  middle  of  the  basket  a 


1  In  the  celebration  of  1893  there  were 
seventeen  objects  in  the  bag  brought  by 
Sii-pe-la,  as  follows  :  — 

1.  Two  large   trochus-like   shells    (ko- 


2.  To-hoJih  (puma),  skull. 

3.  To-ho-uJi,  f orepaw. 

4.  Ho-nau-uh  (bear),  skull. 

5.  Ho-nau-fih,  forepaw. 


6.  Ktve-we  (wolf),  skull. 

7.  Kwe-we,  forepaw. 

8.  To-ko-che,  forepaw. 

9.  Fetish  of  To-ho-uh. 

10.  White  stone  fetish. 

11.  Large  stone  spear  point. 

12.  Bivalve  shell  (kU-klUce). 

13.  Paw  of  unknown  carnivore. 

14.  Six  water-worn  pebbles. 


60 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 


Basket 


stick  painted  black,  to  the  end  of  which  was  at- 
tached a  na-kwd-kwo-ci.  Four  songs  were  then 
sung  by  all  the  Snake  priests,  accompanied  by 
the  rattles  and  by  motions  with  the  snake-whips. 
As  these  melodies  followed  one  after  another, 
Les'-ma  laid  his  rattle  on  the  floor  and  took  up 
one  by  one  the  objects  at  the  ends  of  the  six 
lines  of  sacred  meal,  and  following  the  ceremo- 
nial circuit  placed  them  in  the  basket  around 
the  stick  held  upright  by  Mo-mi.  At  the  close 
of  the  fourth  song  all  present  broke  out  in  the 
wild  war-cry,  and  as  their  piercing  yells  filled 
the  room,  Mo-mi  stirred  the  mixture  in  the  bas- 
ket with  the  stick,  which  he  held  perpendicular 
..ake  charm  Curing  the  stirring.  A  verj  rapid  song  followed 
the  war-cry,  during  which  Les'-ma  laid  the  stick 

down  by  the  side  of  the  basket  and  kneaded  the  contents  of  the  same 
with  his  hands.  While  this  went  on  the  song  sank  to  a  low  and 
weird  melody,  but  as  it  continued  the  voices  of  the  chorus  rose  again 
to  a  rapid  measure  with  loud  and  piercing  tones.  Les'-ma  frequently 
raised  his  rattle  aloft  in  the  air,  and,  as  he  did  so,  cast  meal  into  the 
basket  of  liquid.  The  songs  continued  for  a  long  time,  until  at  last 
they  died  down  to  a  low  hum,  and  the  whole  assemblage  ceased  to 
sing,  but  the  rattles  and  the  tremor  of  the  snake-whips  continued  for 
a  few  moments  after  the  voices  were  hushed. 

In  the  breathless  silence  which  followed,  Ko-pe-li  prayed,  and  at  the 
end  of  his  prayer  he  cast  sacred  meal  into  the  liquid.  Sii-pe-la  did  the 
same,  and  others  followed,  but  Mo-mi  slowly  rose  to  his  feet,  and 
dipping  the  stirring-stick  into  the  mixture,  shook  drops  from  it  to  the 
cardinal  points,  sprinkling  all  present  with  the  liquid.  He  then  touched 
a  bear's  paw  to  the  liquid,  and  threw  the  charm  mixture  from  it  to  the 
cardinal  points,  following  the  sinistral  ceremonial  circuit.  Mo-mi 
climbed  up  the  ladder  to  the  roof,  asperged  with  the  bear's  paw  in  a 
sinistral  ceremonial  circuit  to  the  cardinal  points  outside,  and  immedi- 
ately after  descended  into  the  chamber. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL        61 

Mo-mi  then  moistened  fragments  of  white  earth  with  some  of  the 
medicine  which  he  had  taken  into  his  mouth  from  a  univalve  shell,  and 
made  a  white  paint  in  the  palms  of  his  hands ;  approaching  K6-pe-li, 
he  rubbed  some  of  this  from  the  palm  of  one  hand  first  upon  K6-pe-li's 
breast,  then  upon  his  back,  cheeks,  and  the  fore-arms  and  legs.  Ka-no 
later  assisted  him,  and  every  one  present  was  rubbed  or  daubed  with 
the  white  paint  on  the  same  parts  of  the  body  as  the  Snake  chief. 
While  this  was  transpiring,  many  of  the  priests  stepped  up  to  the  altar 
and  moistened  their  hands  in  the  liquid  of  the  basket,  rubbing  it 
over  their  breasts  and  other  parts  of  the  body.  Many  also  took  the 
objects  from  the  medicine  and  sucked  the  liquid  from  them,  some  even 
drinking  the  same  from  the  univalve  shells.  I  then  detected,  for  the 
first  time,  fragments  of  clay  which  the  priests  were  rolling  in  their 
hands  into  balls  about  the  size  of  marbles.  Ka-no  was 
passing  pieces  of  clay  about  for  this  purpose,  but,  while 
I  did  not  see  where  he  obtained  it,  there  was  no  doubt 
that  it  was  dipped  in  the  charm  liquid.  After  each 
priest  had  made  his  clay  ball,  he  marked  a  zigzag  light-  Peiiet  of  ciay  from 
ning  snake  on  its  equator  with  his  thumb-nail,  and  tied 
it  in  a  little  piece  of  buckskin.  This  was  the  pellet  which,  with  oth- 
ers, was  later  worn  on  the  medicine  cord  or  bandoleer  throughout  the 
public  ceremonies  when  the  snakes  were  carried  in  the  mouths  of  the 
participants. 

At  the  close  of  the  ceremony  K6-pe-li  transferred  the  liquid  from 
the  basket  of  fetishes  into  another  basket,  leaving,  for  a  time  at  least, 
in  the  former  a  trochus  shell,  a  bivalve,  a  white  fetish,  a  quartz  crystal, 
and  a  brown  stone.  As  he  did  this  he  put  each  to  his  mouth,  sucking 
up  what  liquid  remained  upon  it,  and  later  drinking  that  in  the  basket, 
which  was  afterwards  deposited  near  the  altar. 

DRAMATIZATION    IN    THE    SNAKE    KIVA. 

One  more  ceremonial  occurred  to  form  a  fitting  close  to  this  event- 
ful day. 

There  was  evidence  that  something  significant  was  to  take  place 


62         THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

when  Wi-ki  and  other  Antelopes  assembled  in  the  Mofi'-kiva,  cos- 
tumed themselves,  and  prepared  to  leave  it,  the  evening  after  the 
ceremony  above  described  had  taken  place.  Wi-ki  took  his  ti-po-ni 
and  tray  of  meal,  and  led  a  procession  with  the  novices  in  the  rear,  each 
bearing  an  ear  of  corn  with  appended  feathers  and  a  handful  of  meal. 
Under  the  lead  of  Wi-ki  all  filed  up  the  ladder  of  the  Mori'-kiva  and 
marched  to  the  adjacent  Snake  kiva,  into  which  all  descended.  Wi-ki 
deposited  his  ti-po-ni  behind  the  altar,  in  the  same  relative  position  to 
the  Snake  ti-po-ni  which  it  had  occupied  in  the  Mon'-kiva.  Still  hold- 
ing the  tray  of  meal,  he  returned  with  the  other  Antelopes  to  the  spec- 
tators' platform,  where  they  sat  down.  Immediately  the  room,  in 
which  already  many  Snake  priests  had  gathered,  began  to  fill  with  other 
men  and  women :  Among  these  Sii-pe-la's  wife,  four  married  women, 
five  maidens,  and  a  mother  with  an  infant  were  noticed.  The  novices 
had  taken  their  positions  under  the  north  wall,  and  the  Snake  priests 
squatted  along  the  opposite  or  south  side  of  the  kiva.  The  women 
who  had  last  entered  sat  near  the  spectators'  part  of  the  room,  just 
south  of  the  fireplace,  and  Snake  and  Antelope  priests  crowded  the 
chamber,  occupying  every  available  spot,  especially  about  the  fireplace. 

East  of  the  ladder,  cutting  off  a  section  of  the  spectators'  region  and 
concealing  the  four  snake  jars,  was  stretched  from  wall  to  wall  a 
wagon  cover,  forming  a  dressing-room  for  the  performers  to  retire  to. 

K6-pe-li  sat  at  one  side  of  the  room,  muffled  up  in  a  Navajo  blanket, 
over  which  was  thrown  a  white  buckskin.  For  some  time  all  present 
preserved  the  most  profound  silence,  the  Snake  priests  holding  their 
whips  in  a  vertical  position.  K6-pe-li  said  a  short  prayer,  after  which 
the  rattles  were  taken  up,  and  for  a  few  moments  nothing  was  heard 
but  the  noise  of  these  instruments.  As  this  continued  all  began  to 
sing ;  at  first  a  low  mumble,  then  the  voices  increased  in  volume  until 
they  broke  out  into  a  wild  song. 

Wi-ki,  who  sat  near  the  entrance  to  the  dressing-room,  threw  a  pinch 
of  meal  across  the  floor  to  indicate  a  pathway  for  the  strange  actor 
who  immediately  emerged  from  behind  the  screen. 

A  little  meal  was  cast  from  behind  the  curtain  as  an  actor  hob- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL  63 

bled  into  the  room,  assuming  a  squatting  posture,  and  swaying  back 
and  forth  like  a  bear  on  its  hind  legs,  though  his  movements  were 
rapid.  He  wore  a  great  bunch  of  red  feathers  on  his  head,  with 
smaller  tufts  on  the  shoulders,  and  his  face  was  covered  with  paint. 
Making  his  way  to  the  fireplace,  he  seized  a  cane  cigarette,  put  it  in 
his  mouth,  and  twirled  his  hands,  one  about  the  other  in  front  of  his 
breast,  dancing  to  the  song.  He  returned  behind  the  screen  and  again 
came  out,  moving  about  in  the  wild  manner  which  characterized  his 
first  appearance.  The  actor  went  up  to  K6-pe-li,  preserving  as  he  did 
so  a  squatting  posture,  and  drew  a  vine-stalk  from  under  the  Snake 
chief's  blanket.  He  then  went  from  one  to  another  of  the  novices, 
thrusting  the  stalk  into  their  faces.  The  wild  song  continued  until 
he  again  retired  behind  the  wagon-cover,  when  it  sank  to  the  same 
low  murmur  with  which  it  began  before  his  entrance.  After  a  few 
such  strains  the  song  burst  forth  into  a  wild  chorus  as  a  new  per- 
former, the  "  Puma-man,"  appeared  upon  the  scene.  His  next  act  was 
to  thrust  his  head  under  the  blanket  of  K6-pe-li.  As  he  drew  it  back 
he  had  an  unlighted  cane  cigarette  in  his  mouth,  which  he  pretended  to 
smoke  as  he  hobbled  about,  and  while  he  did  so  the  Antelopes  threw 
meal  towards  the  sand  mosaic  picture  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  kiva. 
The  performer,  stih1  keeping  the  squatting  posture,  repeated  the  whirli- 
gig movement  of  his  hands.  He  returned  to  Kd-pe-li,  pushed  his  head 
beneath  the  latter's  blanket,  and  as  he  drew  back  was  seen  to  have  a 
live  arrow-snake  in  his  mouth.  Approaching  the  novices,  he  took  the 
snake  from  his  mouth  and  thrust  it  in  turn  into  their  faces,  moving  it 
up  and  down  as  near  as  possible  four  times.  The  reptile  was  returned 
to  the  chief,  and  as  the  actor  retired  behind  the  screen  the  song  sank 
to  a  murmur.  When  the  first  actor  reappeared,  with  a  lighted  ciga- 
rette in  his  mouth,  the  music  rose  again  as  usual.  During  all  this 
performance  K6-pe-li  sat  like  a  statue,  silent  and  motionless.  The 
performer  went  up  to  him  once  more,  and  this  time  when  he  drew  back 
his  head  he  had  a  cornstalk  in  his  mouth,  which  he  thrust  into  the 
faces  of  the  novices.  He  then  withdrew.1 

1  The  Bear-man  does  not  touch  the  snake,  nor  the  Puma-man  the  vines.     The  first 


64  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL 

The  second  man  now  came  from  behind  the  curtain,  assuming  the 
posture  and  gait  of  the  former.  He  likewise  poked  his  head  under 
the  blanket  of  K6-pe-li  and  drew  back  with  a  snake  in  his  mouth,  which 
he  thrust  into  the  faces  of  the  novices.  The  song  sank  to  a  low  hum- 
ming sound  as  he  also  retired  behind  the  curtain,  but  as  the  music  rose 
again  no  dancer  appeared  in  response.  This  song  was  followed  by 
two  others  ;  the  whips  of  the  Snake  men,  which  had  been  moved  in 
time  with  the  music,  gradually  quivered,  and  the  song  wholly  ceased, 
although  the  rattling  continued  for  some  time.  Finally  even  this  died 
out  and  all  was  quiet.  K6-pe-li,  still  preserving  his  position,  then 
uttered  a  short  prayer,  was  divested  of  his  wrappings  and  went  back 
of  the  sand  picture,  followed  by  Wi-ki,  and  each  took  the  ti-po-ni  of 
his  assemblage. 

Ko-pe-li  squatted  in  front  of  each  novice  and  moved  the  ti-po-ni  up 
and  down  before  his  face,  muttering  something  in  a  low,  inaudible 
voice,  to  which  each  novice  responded.  The  example  of  the  Snake 
chief  was  closely  followed  by  Wi-ki  with  his  ti-po-ni,  and  the  novices 
likewise  answered  him. 

An  elder  Snake  priest  then  took  the  Snake  ti-po-ni  and  went  about 
among  the  novices  as  his  chief  had  done,  and  handed  it  to  a  Snake 
boy,  who  likewise  imitated  K6-pe-li's  course  in  front  of  each  novice. 
Ha-ha-we  took  the  Antelope  ti-po-ni  from  Wi-ki  and  did  the  same 
as  his  chief  had  done  before  him.  One  by  one  many  of  the  Snake 
priests  held  the  Snake  ti-po-ni  and  carried  it  before  the  novices,  each 
standing  upright  as  he  waited  to  receive  the  badge  from  his  pred- 
ecessor. The  last  priest  to  receive  the  ti-po-ni,  after  he  had  followed 
the  example  of  those  before,  handed  it  back  to  Ko-pe-li,  and  then  made 
an  offering  of  meal  on  the  altar. 

Wi-ki  and  Ko-pe-li  stood  up  back  of  the  altar  side  by  side,  each 
holding  the  ti-po-ni  of  the  society  of  which  he  is  chief  in  his  left 
hand  with  his  right  below  it.  Wi-ki  prayed,  and  as  he  ceased  moved 

man  who  appeared  was  called  ho-nau-uk,  the    clouds,    but   there  is  some   doubt  of 

bear ;   the  second,  td-ho-iih,  puma.     The  this  explanation.     When    the   personator 

twirling   motion   of   the   hands   is  called  went   to    the    novices  he  was    known  as 

nun-ak'-in-i,  and  is  said  to  be  a  call   to  tii-hii'-an-ti,  imitator. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI.        65 

his  ti-po-ni  in  a  horizontal  circle  in  front  of  him,  and  K6-pe-li  followed 
in  prayer,  after  which  he  waved  his  ti-po-ni  in  the  same  manner.  Then 
a  person  chosen  as  his  sponsor  or  "father  "  tied  a  feather  in  the  scalp- 
lock  of  each  novice.  Wi-ki  again  prayed  while  this  was  transpiring, 
and  then  drank  brown  liquid  from  the  bowl,  until  his  mouth  was  filled 
with  the  liquid.  He  then  spat  it  out  on  his  hands,  with  which  he 
rubbed  his  breast,  and  all  the  Antelopes  followed  his  example.  Wi-ki 
and  the  others  in  turn  took  meal  from  the  tray,  made  an  offering  on 
the  sand  picture,  and  as  they  left  the  room  sprinkled  pinches  of  meal 
upon  the  roof,  after  which  they  returned  to  the  Mon'-kiva. 

The  initiation  is  an  entirely  voluntary  proceeding  upon  the  part  of 
the  neophytes,  and  they  may  choose  either  of  the  two  societies  they 
prefer.  A  person  initiated  into  the  Snake  order  does  not  as  a  con- 
sequence join  the  Antelope,  nor  vice  versa;  the  membership,  as  de- 
termined by  tradition  and  in  current  ceremonies,  is  quite  distinct, 
although  the  leader  of  the  Snake-Antelope  assemblages  is  chief,  or 
father,  of  both.  Mothers  came  with  their  children  and  infants  to  the 
Snake  kiva  on  the  seventh  evening,  and  to  the  Snake-Antelope  on  the 
ninth  morning,  not  to  become  members,  but  only  to  partake  of  the  vir- 
tues of  the  charm ;  that  fear  of  the  ophidian  may  be  dispelled  from 
themselves  and  their  children,  and  that  these  reptiles  may  recognize 
that  they  have  been  baptized  and  refrain  from  biting  them.  The  terms 
condensed  in  the  word  baptized  do  not  express  consecration,  although 
that  is  certainly  implied ;  but  they  are  merely  descriptive  of  the  acts 
of  drinking,  rubbing,  waving  the  feather  with  ashes,  and  similar  sacred 
performances. 

EIGHTH    DAY    (TO-TO-KYA,    SLEEPS). 

Shortly  after  dark  on  the  night  of  the  seventh  day,  the  Antelope 
priests,  Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Kwa-a,  and  Ha-ha-we,  accompanied 
by  Mo-mi  visited  the  sun-spring,  Ta-wa-pa,  and  remained  there  over- 
night. The  Antelopes  wore  their  ceremonial  kilts,  and  Mo-mi,  who 
assumed  the  role  of  warrior,  had  a  whizzer,  bow  and  arrows,  and  wore 


66 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 


a  buckskin  over  his  shoulders.  They  first  went  to  the  edge  of  the 
water  on  the  eastern  bank,  where  they  deposited  a  pa-ho,  smoked,  and 
prayed.  After  remaining  there  some  time,  they  sought  a  convenient 
place  to  sleep  near  the  bank  of  the  spring,  and  rested  until  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  they  returned  to  the  edge  of  the  water. 

After  they  had  gathered  netted  gourds  and  other  objects  which  they 
had  left  there  the  night  before,  they  formed  in  line  to  return  to  the 
village.  Wi-ki  made  a  line  of  prayer-meal  along  the  trail,  and  traced 
at  equal  distances  across  it  four  figures  of  rain-clouds,  each  with  three 


Kilt  of  the  Antelope   Priests. 


semicircles  similar  to  those  already  described  in  my  account1  of  the 
ceremonies  at  the  spring  at  Ci-pau-lo-vi.  At  the  conclusion  of  this  act 
Mo-me  whirled  his  whizzer  four  times,  and  the  line  advanced  to  a 
second  station  distant  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  first,  where  the 
ceremony  was  repeated.  The  squad  again  took  up  its  line  of  march, 
and  halted  at  four  other  stations  before  it  arrived  at  the  Antelope  kiva. 
The  ceremony  at  Ta-wa-pa  is  probably  an  abbreviated  form  of  the 
Flute  celebration,  which  takes  place  on  alternate  years.  The  reader 
may  note  the  similarities  by  consulting  my  account  of  the  Ci-paii-lo-vi 
Flute,2  to  which  I  have  already  referred. 


1  Journal  of  American  Ethnology  and 
Archaeology ,  vol.  ii.  No.  1. 

2  The  reader  is  referred  to  the  O'-mow- 


uh  celebration  in  the  Flute  festival.  Jour- 
nal of  American  Ethnology  and  Archae- 
ology, vol.  ii.  No.  1. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL        67 

The  other  event,  which  occurred  outside  the  kiva  on  the  morning  of 
the  eighth  day  before  dawn,  was  the  Antelope  foot-race.  This  took 
place  in  the  plain  at  the  south  of  the  mesa,  and  was  practically  the 
same  as  the  foot-race  of  the  ninth  morning,  which  will  be  described 
in  the  appropriate  place.  Seven  runners  took  part,  all  of  whom  wore 
cotton  shirts  and  had  rattles  tied  to  their  waists.  The  race  was  an- 
nounced long  before  dawn  by  the  town  herald,  who  called  out  four 
times  at  short  intervals.  The  victor  passed  through  the  village  just 
as  the  Antelopes  were  finishing  their  sixteen  songs  ceremony  and 
dramatization. 

DRAMATIZATION    AND    SIXTEEN    SONGS    CEREMONY. 

The  singing  of  the  sixteen  songs l  on  the  mornings  of  the  eighth  and 
ninth  days  was  different  from  that  on  the  preceding,  on  account  of 
the  introduction  of  two  personifications,  Ti-yo  (the  Snake  Hero)  and 
Tcii-a-md-na  (the  Snake  virgin),  and  the  dramatization  of  a  legend 
connected  with  them.  The  dramatic  element  was  very  imperfect,  and 
did  not  follow  the  details  of  the  legend,  which  is  given  later,  but 
several  episodes  of  it  are  introduced.  Ti-yo,  so  the  story  runs,  by  his 
marriage  with  the  Snake  virgin  in  the  under- world  joined  her  people, 
and  as  on  the  morning  of  the  eighth  day  the  one  personifying  him  had 
not  yet  become  a  Snake  man,  he  did  not  wear  the  characteristic  kilt. 

The  ceremonial  was  also  marked  by  the  presence  of  the  Snake  chief 
and  several  of  his  fraternity,  as  well  as  a  few  women  and  children. 

When  I  reached  the  kiva,  coming  from  Ta-wa-pa,  where  I  had  been 
observing  the  events  described,  it  was  still  dark,  not  a  trace  of  light 
having  yet  appeared  in  the  east,  and  nothing  was  transpiring,  but  in  a 
few  moments  a  maiden  came  in.  Wi-ki  immediately  began  her  deco- 
ration, and  rubbed  the  upper  part  of  her  feet  and  the  backs  of  her 
hands  with  black  shale.  He  then  took  a  white  blanket  and  placed  it 
over  her  shoulders,  and  tied  a  sash  with  long  white  knotted  cords,  such 
as  is  worn  by  the  Ka-tci-na  dancers,  about  her  waist.  She  took  down 

1  The  first  eight  songs  of  this  ceremony  on  the  eighth  and  ninth  days  are  sung  before 


sunrise. 


68  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

her  hair,  which  Wi-ki  carefully  brushed,  and  tied  with  a  string  behind 
her  back,  so  that  her  ears  were  partly  concealed,  and  the  large  whorls 
of  hair  characteristic  of  a  Hopi  maid's  coiffure  were  wanting.  Over 
her  shoulders  Wi-ki  placed  a  second  white  undecorated  blanket,  to 
which  he  tied  feathers,  one  on  each  shoulder,  and  two  on  the  back 
near  her  shoulder-blades.  He  tied  a  na-kwai-ta  in  her  hair,  and 
painted  her  chin  and  lower  jaw  black.  The  maiden  wore  earrings. 
Her  name  was  Ko-kyan-ma-na  and  she  personified  Tcu-a-md-na  of 
the  Snake  legend.  Wi-ki  led  her  to  the  northwest  (true  west)  corner 
of  the  kiva,  where  she  remained  during  the  ceremonial. 

A  small  boy  about  sixteen  then  came  in,  and  Wi-ki  painted  his 
insteps  and  the  backs  of  his  hands  black,  in  the  same  way  he  had 
painted  the  girl.  He  daubed  on  the  outer  side  of  each  leg  a  zigzag 
line  of  the  same  color,  and  made  similar  decorations  on  the  outer  side 
of  each  arm.  The  black  zigzag  lines l  were  also  placed  on  either  side 
of  the  breast.  As  he  entered  the  kiva,  the  boy  wore  a  large  shell  neck- 
lace, and  a  red  feather  on  his  head,  and  these  were  not  removed,  but 
Wi-ki  tied  a  kilt  about  the  loins  of  the  boy,  and  above  it  fastened  a 
sash.  He  combed  the  hair,  tying  it,  as  he  had  that  of  the  girl,  behind 
his  back.  He  lastly  placed  him  in  the  southwest  (true  south)  corner 
of  the  room.  Hon'-yi,  In'-ti-wa,  and  Ha-ha-we  were  smoking  about  the 
fireplace  while  the  decoration  of  the  Snake  girl  and  the  Snake  boy  was 
going  on.  When  it  was  finished,  Wi-ki  himself  took  a  seat  in  silence 
at  the  sand  altar. 

Ka-tci,  In'-ti-wa,  several  other  novices,  and  a  Snake  priest,  all  but 
the  last  bearing  an  ear  of  corn  and  feathers  attached  to  a  stick,  visited 
the  pa-ho-ki,  which  is  situated  half  way  between  Wal'pi  and  Si-tcom'- 
o-vi,  where  they  deposited  two  red-stained  na-kwd-kwo-ci,  after  which 
they  hurried  back  and  laid  the  ears  of  corn  by  the  side  of  the  altar. 

On  this  morning  for  the  first  time  Mo-mi  tied  to  the  ladder  a  bando- 
leer or  medicine  cord  in  the  same  way  which  we  have  already  men- 
tioned in  the  ceremonial  preparation  of  the  charm  liquid  by  the  Snake 
priests. 

1  He  omitted  the  white  line  across  the  cheek,  and  the  black  zigzag  lines  on  the  arms 
and  legs. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  69 

When  the  novices  had  returned,  Ha-ha-we  lit  the  pipe  and  passed 
it  ceremonially  to  Wi-ki,  who  smoked  and  extended  it  to  his  neighbor 
as  in  former  ceremonies.  Ta-wa  came  in,  followed  by  Ma-si-um'-ti-wa, 
Wi-ky-at-i-wa,  and  one  or  two  other  men,  who  seated  themselves  at  the 
north  of  the  sand  mosaic.  While  the  ceremonial  smoke  was  progress- 
ing, Wi-ki  talked  a  long  time,  constantly  referring  to  the  things  about 
the  altar.  He  seemed  to  be  speaking  to  those  about  him  in  regard 
either  to  the  history  of  the  ceremonials  which  were  being  performed  or 
the  legends  connected  with  them.  When  he  had  finished  this  lecture, 
to  which  all  the  others  listened  in  silence,  he  handed  thepat'-ne  with 
cornstalks  and  bean  vines  to  the  girl,  who  stood  in  the  corner  of  the 
kiva.  Wi-ki  next  raised  the  Snake  ti-po-ni  and  gave  it  to  the  boy,  who 
at  first  held  it  upright  in  both  hands  and  then  allowed  it  to  lie  over 
his  arm.  Prayers  followed  by  Wi-ki,  Ha-ha-we,  and  others. 

Wi-ki  then  shook  his  rattle  for  a  few  moments  without  singing,  and 
the  assembled  priests  began  the  series  of  songs,  sixteen  in  number, 
which  have  been  elsewhere  described.  During  the  first  song  Ko-pe-li 
came  in,  and  handing  the  boy  a  large  snake  (pityophis\  sat  down  at 
his  customary  place  near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  sand  mosaic,  took 
up  his  rattle,  and  joined  in  the  song  with  the  others.  The  boy  held 
the  live  snake  by  the  neck  in  his  right  hand,  beating  time  with  it  to 
the  song.  When  Ko-pe-li  came  in  not  a  word  was  spoken  to  him  by 
any  one  present,  and  he  himself  was  silent.  Several  Snake  priests, 
each  with  his  whip,  now  entered  and  seated  themselves  at  the  south 
side  of  the  room,  back  of  Ka-kap-ti  and  the  Snake  priest,  who  had 
returned  with  the  novices.  The  Tcu-a-wim-kya  celebrants  were  as 
follows :  Wi-ki,  Hon'-yi,  Wi-ky-at-i-wa,  Kwa-a,  Ta-wa,  In'-ti-wa,  and 
Mas-i-um'-ti-wa.  Behind  and  between  the  last  two  was  a  small  boy. 
Ka-tci  sat  at  the  south  of  the  altar  by  the  side  of  Ka-kap-ti,  and  behind 
In'-ti-wa  was  a  woman  who  came  in  during  the  second  part  of  the  cere- 
mony, bringing  an  ear  of  corn. 

After  the  first  eight  songs  had  been  sung,  and  Ha-ha-we  had  as- 
perged  the  altar  and  the  cardinal  points  as  in  previous  ceremonies, 
Wi-ki  took  the  ti-po-ni  from  the  boy  and  the  patf-ne  from  the  girl ; 


70  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

placed  the  former  in  position,  and  the  latter  back  of  the  sand  mosaic. 
K6-pe-li  relieved  the  boy  of  the  snake,  and  Wi-ki  sent  out  for  a  coal 
of  fire  and  lit  the  great  O'mow-uh  pipe,  the  smoke  from  which  he 
blew  four  times  in  big  whiffs  over  the  large  fetish  on  the  sand  mosaic.1 
After  this  we  heard  the  approaching  runners  of  the  Antelope  race  and 
stepped  out  to  see  them,  returning  immediately  to  the  kiva.  It  was 
now  just  sunrise,  and  Na-syun'-we-ve  set  up  the  nd-tci  on  the  hatch. 

Before  the  second  series  of  songs  began,  a  woman  and  the  boy  who 
later  sat  behind  Ma-si-um'-ti-wa  came  in,  and  a  little  after  several 
Snake  priests  followed,  all  with  their  snake- whips,  and  took  their  seats 
at  the  east  corner  of  the  chamber,  south  of  the  fireplace. 

Wi-ki  handed  the  pat'-ne  to  the  maiden,  and  the  ti-po-ni  to  the 
boy,  who  received  the  snake  again  from  K6-pe-li. 

The  second  series  of  eight  songs  was  then  sung  with  no  variation 
from  that  of  previous  ceremonies,  except  that  the  Snake  priests  beat 
time  with  their  snake  whips,  and  the  boy  kept  time  with  the  snake 
which  he  held  in  his  hand.  Ha-ha-we  asperged  as  before,  and  Ka- 
kap-ti  rapped  on  the  floor  with  the  stone  hoe  as  in  former  celebrations. 

At  the  close  of  the  songs  Wi-ki  prayed,  followed  by  Ko-pe-li,  Na- 
syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we,  and  Ta-wa,  to  whom  the  others  responded, 
while  Wi-ki  and  K6-pe-li  engaged  in  conversation.  During  the  cere- 
monial smoke  which  followed,  the  Snake  priests  sprinkled  prayer-meal 
on  the  sand  mosaic  and  left  the  room,  and  the  woman  who  sat  behind 
In'-ti-wa  did  the  same. 

The  forenoon  of  the  eighth  day  was  passed  by  all  the  Snake  priests 
in  their  kiva,  and  they  were  occupied  with  the  manufacture  of  the 
long  prayer-sticks  which  were  to  be  carried  in  the  public  dances. 

These  pd-ho(s)  were  as  long  as  the  forearm,  painted  black,  and 
pointed  at  one  extremity.  Each  was  a  single  stick,  at  one  end  of  which 
was  tied,  with  cotton  string,  a  corn  husk,  which  projected  far  beyond 
it,  a  sprig  of  a  yellow  flower  (pam'-na-vi),  and  a  twig  of  kurn'-yu. 
To  these  were  also  added  a  feather  and  a  small  quantity  of  meal  envel- 

1  This  is  not  described,  because  it  is  an  exact  repetition  of  what  has  been  already 
given. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 


71 


oped  in  a  corn  husk.  Four  encircling  parallel  black  lines  were  drawn 
on  the  cotton,  and  an  equal  number  of  na-kwd-kwo-ci  stained  red  with 
iron  oxide  were  tied  to  the  same  at  equal  intervals.  When  each  priest 
had  finished  his  prayer-stick,  he  held  it  in  his  left  hand  and  puffed 
upon  it  great  whiffs  of  tobacco  smoke,  holding  the 
pipe  meanwhile  in  his  right  hand,  and  without  fur- 
ther ceremony  placed  the  pd-ho  upon  the  tray  with  j 
the  others.  The  basket  was  deposited  on  the  floor  I 
of  the  kiva  between  the  pon-ya  and  the  fireplace,  || 
the  sharpened  ends  of  the  sticks  turned  to  the  l| 
north.  When  all  had  placed  their  pd-ho(s)  on  the  || 
basket,  the  older  priests  smoked  upon  them  cere-  \- 


monially. 


THE    ANTELOPE    DANCE. 


The  first  public  observance  in  the  long  series  of 
ceremonials  which  we  are  describing  occurred  at 
5.30  P.  M.  of  the  eighth  day.  It  is  called  the  Tcub'- 
ti-ki-ve  or  Antelope  dance,  and  was  performed 
in  the  main  plaza  near  a  small  conical  structure 
called  the  M-si,  which  was  temporarily  erected  for 
that  purpose.  The  material  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  ki-si  was  cottonwood  boughs  covered 
with  leaves,  which  had  been  brought  to  the  alcove 
between  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva  and  the  sacred 
rock  during  the  morning.  The  poles  which  sup- 
ported it  were  about  fifteen  feet  long,  driven  into 
the  ground  at  one  end,  and  tied  together  with 
straps  above  in  a  conical  form.  The  boughs  were 
so  arranged  as  to  leave  an  opening  facing  the 
south,  which  was  closed  by  a  wagon  cover.  In 
front  of  this  entrance  a  thick  plank,  in  which  was  a  hole  representing 
the  si-pa-pu,  was  set  in  the  ground.  The  ki-si  was  erected  at  three 
p.  M.,  but  the  plank  was  put  in  place  without  ceremonies  some  time 
earlier  in  the  day. 


Snake    Pa-ho. 


72  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

At  a  little  after  5  P.  M.  the  Antelopes  came  out  of  the  Mon'-kiva  in 
the  following  order,  and  stood  in  line  facing  the  Snake  kiva  :  Na-hai- 
pii-ma,  Wi-ki,  Na-syun'-we-ve,  Ha-ha-we,  Kwa-a,  Se-kwa-wec'-te-wa, 
Ma-si-um'-ti-wa,  Hon'yi,  Ta-wa,  Ka-tci,  In'-ti-wa,  and  five  boys. 

These  sixteen  Antelopes  stood  in  a  line  facing  south,  and  as  each 
took  his  place  he  stepped  upon  the  roof  of  the  Snake  kiva  and  cast  a 
little  meal  into  the  hatch  of  the  room  where  the  Snake  priests  were 
assembled  preparing  for  the  dance.  After  this  ceremony  they  silently, 
with  solemn  faces  and  slow  step,  marched  through  the  alcove  and  fol- 
lowing the  sinistral  ceremonial  circuit  described  a  long  ellipse  with  its 
diameter  extending  east  and  west  from  the  rock  to  the  east  end  of  the 
plaza.  They  encircled  the  plaza  four  times,  and  as  they  passed  in 
front  of  the  M-si  each  priest  stamped  with  all  the  force  of  his  right 
foot  upon  the  plank  in  front  of  it.  After  the  fourth  circuit  they 
formed  a  platoon  on  each  side  of  the  M-si,  the  head  of  the  line  going 
to  the  west,  and  the  novices  with  the  whizzer  bearer  to  the  east  of  the 
bower,  all  facing  the  south.  They  then  began  a  slow  movement  of 
their  rattles,  accompanied  with  a  weird  and  characteristic  song. 

The  line  of  Snake  priests  headed  by  Ko-pe-li,  responding  to  their  in- 
vitation, now  rushed  in,  and,  passing  to  the  south  of  the  sacred  rock, 
made  the  sinistral  circuit  of  the  plaza  four  times  in  a  long  ellipse  ex- 
tending from  the  Snake  rock  to  the  Al-kiva.  As  each  of  the  thirty- 
eight  Snake  priests  passed  in  front  of  the  M-si  he  also  stamped  violently 
on  the  plank,  at  the  same  time  dropping  a  pinch  of  prayer-meal  upon 
it.  They  formed  a  platoon  facing  the  Antelopes,  with  K6-pe-li  on  the 
extreme  west  end,  nearly  opposite  Wi-ki. 

When  the  Snake  priests  had  taken  their  positions  opposite  the  Ante- 
lopes, the  latter,  accompanying  the  music  with  the  rattles,  sang  a  low 
melody,  slightly  swaying  their  bodies  from  side  to  side.  The  song 
then  rose  louder  and  louder,  and  both  priesthoods  moved  their  bodies 
in  unison  without  breaking  their  lines.  The  song  continued  to  increase 
in  volume,  and  became  more  stirring  as  both  platoons  moved  a  step 
forward  and  back. 

This  movement  continued  for  a  few  minutes,  and  at  the  same  time 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI.        73 

Na-hai-pii-ma  walked  down  between  the  two  lines  in  a  stately  man- 
ner and  halted  before  the  ki-si,  holding  an  ear  of  corn,  a  nd-kwi-pi, 
and  an  aspergill  in  his  hands.  Upon  his  head  he  wore  a  garland  of 
cottonwood  leaves,  and  his  body  was  painted  lavender.  His  loins 
were  girt  with  a  white  blanket  kilt,  similar  to  that  of  the  Antelopes, 
with  whose  paraphernalia  the  rest  of  his  dress  corresponded. 

Na-hai-pu-ma l  called  out  his  invocation  to  the  four  directions  in  a 
low  voice,  at  the  same  time  asperging  upon  the  ki-si  and  to  the  differ- 
ent world  quarters.  The  words  which  he  uttered  will  be  given  in  the 
account  of  a  similar  ceremony  on  the  following  day,  and  as  he  said 
them  no  sound  was  heard  save  that  of  the  Antelope  rattles.  The 
asperger  returned  to  the  head  of  the  platoon  and  the  song  began  again, 
accompanied  by  the  swaying  movement  of  the  dancers.  As  the  melody 
increased  in  volume  from  a  low  hum  the  asperger  again  marched  be- 
tween the  two  lines  to  the  front  of  the  ki-si,  and  as  he  stood  there  he 
again  called  or  chanted  in  a  low  voice.  The  Antelopes  continued  the 
low  humming  song,  and  both  Antelope  and  Snake  priests  swayed  back 
and  forth  in  a  monotonous  but  rhythmic  way.  Four  times  Na-hai- 
pii-ma  visited  the  ki-si,  and  as  many  times  he  called  to  the  world  quar- 
ter deities.  Ha-ha-we  crossed  from  his  position  in  the  line  of  the 
Antelopes  near  Na-syun'-we-ve  to  a  corresponding  position  in  the  line 
of  Snake  priests,  and  Kwa-a  and  a  Snake  priest,  putting  arms  about 
each  other's  necks,  slowly  marched  between  the  platoons  to  the  ki-si 
entrance.  The  Antelope  leaned  over  and  took  from  the  ki-si  corn- 
stalks and  vines,  which  he  placed  in  his  mouth,  and  the  pair  together 
moved  up  and  down  between  the  platoons  of  singing,  swaying  Ante- 
lope and  Snake  priests.  They  returned  with  their  burden  to  the  ki-si 
entrance  and  Kwa-wa  replaced  the  corn  and  vines. 

The  Snake  priest,  handing  his  snake-whip  to  Kwa-a,  placed  the  corn 
and  vines  in  his  mouth,  and  the  pair,  with  arms  about  each  other's  neck, 
slowly  ambled  between  the  two  platoons  of  Snake  and  Antelope  priests. 

1  For   some    reason   Tci-no,   who   had      taken  by  a  man  who  had  to  be  repeatedly 
performed  this  ceremony  in  former  years,      prompted, 
did  not  officiate,  and  the  part  was  poorly 


74  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS   AT   WALPL 

As  they  did  this  the  Antelope  and  Snake  priests  stepped  forward  and 
backward  one  step,  keeping  time  to  a  slow,  almost  inaudible  humming 
song.  Four  pairs  of  Snake  and  Antelope  priests  in  turn  carried  the 
cornstalks  and  vines  in  this  way,  and  the  Snake  priest  always  passed 
his  whip  to  the  Antelope  before  he  took  the  corn  in  his  mouth.  A 
Snake  priest  with  whip  erect  and  left  arm  about  Kwa-a's  neck  now 
marched  twice,  with  a  slow,  halting  step,  up  and  down  between  the 
swaying  platoons  of  Antelope  and  Snake  men,  the  former  singing  and 
using  their  rattles,  the  latter  beating  time  with  their  snake-whips. 

When  they  had  returned  to  their  position,  the  line  of  Snake  priests 
led  by  Ko-pe-li  filed  around  the  sacred  rock  with  a  quick  step,  once 
more  made  the  long  oval  circuit  of  the  plaza  in  a  sinistral  direction, 
and  as  they  passed  the  Td-si  entrance  stamped  violently  upon  the  plank 
in  front  of  it.  When  they  passed  the  asperger,  he  sprinkled  the  charm 
liquid  on  each  of  them. 

The  Antelopes  more  deliberately  filed  around  a  small  circle  which 
did  not  include  the  sacred  rock,  and  as  they  passed  the  M-si  each  one 
stamped  upon  the  plank.  They,  too,  were  sprinkled  by  Na-hai-pu-ma 
as  they  left  the  plaza. 

Both  societies  returned  to  their  respective  kivas,  and  shortly  after, 
having  divested  themselves  of  their  paraphernalia,  one  by  one  went  to 
their  houses  to  procure  food,  which  they  carried  into  the  kiva,  where 
singly  or  in  squads  they  ate  their  suppers. 

NINTH    DAY    (TI-KE-VE-NI,    DANCE    DAY). 

The  public  ceremonials  of  this  day  have  been  fairly  well  described 
by  other  observers,  but  several  secret  rites  took  place  in  the  kivas 
which  are  here  published  for  the  first  time. 

THE    SNAKE    RACE. 

All  that  is  known  of  the  beginning  of  this  race  is  that  Ka-kap-ti 
went  to  Wi-po  before  daybreak,  possibly  to  start  the  runners.  Mr. 
Owens  witnessed  the  finish  at  the  foothills  to  the  north  of  Wal'-pi,  and 
his  observations  were  practically  as  follows  :  At  early  dawn  Hon'-yi 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  75 

repaired  to  the  terminal  goal  to  meet  the  racers.  In  preparation  for 
their  arrival  he  outlined  in  meal  four  ff-mow-uh  cloud  figures  across 
the  trail  and  the  same  distance  apart.  Each  of  these  symbols  had 
three  semicircular  clouds  connected  by  a  straight  line  about  four  feet 
long,  which  was  placed  at  right  angles  to  the  trail.  Parallel  lines  rep- 
resenting falling  rain  were  added,  pointing  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  racers  were  to  approach.  These  symbols  were  given  the  names  of 
the  four  cardinal  points,  and  their  corresponding  colors,  yellow,  blue, 
red,  and  white,  were  mentioned  in  connection  with  them.  Two  na- 
kwd-kwo-ci(s),  with  feathers  extended  in  the  line  of  advance  of  the 
runners  and  with  strings  parallel  and  reaching  to  the  middle  of  the 
east  cloud,  were  likewise  laid  on  the  trail.  In  the  neighboring  shrine, 
Hon'-yi  deposited  three  green  pd-ho(s)  that  had  been  made  in  the 
Mon'-kiva  the  day  before.  Hon'-yi,  with  the  gne-lii'k-pi  (crook)  in  his 
right  hand  and  a  tray  in  his  left,  stood  by  the  figures  of  the  O'-mow-uh 
which  he  had  drawn  in  meal,  facing  the  direction  of  the  approaching 
runners.  His  cheeks,  body,  arms,  and  legs  were  whitened  with  kaolin, 
and  he  wore  a  white  kilt  with  a  knotted  sash.  When  the  racers  ap- 
peared in  sight  he  shouted  to  them,  and  as  they  drew  near  he  remained 
stationary,  holding  the  crook  in  his  right  hand. 

As  the  contestants,  of  whom  there  were  about  forty,  passed  Hon'-yi, 
each  one  touched  the  crook  with  the  palm  of  his  hand,  and  sped  on  his 
way  up  the  mesa.  Hon'-ye  anxiously  waited  until  he  was  sure  all  had 
passed,  and  then  he  too  ran  up  the  precipitous  mesa  trail,  following 
the  racers.  Between  Hon'-yi's  position  and  the  foot  of  the  mesa  stood 
a  number  of  girls  and  boys  with  cornstalks  in  their  hands,  who  also 
turned  and  hurried  up  the  mesa  sides.  The  bodies  of  many  of  the 
contestants  in  the  race  were  painted,  and  some  of  them  wore  flowers  in 
their  hair,  but  none  as  far  as  could  be  seen  carried  ^a-Ao(s). 

Hon'-yi  made  his  way  to  the  Mon'-kiva,  and  entering  gave  the  crook 
to  Wi-ki,  but  the  racers  passed  over  the  roof  of  the  kiva  just  at  sun- 
rise, about  the  close  of  the  dramatization  and  sixteen  songs  ceremony. 


76 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 


DRAMATIZATION    IN    THE    SIXTEEN    SONGS    CEREMONY. 

This  morning  at  3.30  the  same  girl  who  had  taken  the  part  of  the 
Tcii-a-md-na  on  the  preceding  day  entered  the  Mon'-kiva.  At  that  time 
several  of  the  priests  were  asleep  in  the  room,  but  a  rap  on  the  roof 
roused  Ha-ha-we  and  some  of  the  others.  As  soon  as  the  girl  entered, 


Position  of  the  Celebrants  of  the  Dramatization  Ceremony.1 


1  1.  Wf-ki. 

2.  Kd-pe-li. 

3.  Tcu-a-msi-na. 

4.  Snake  Boy. 

5.  Wi-kyat'-i-wa. 

6.  Na-syun'-we-ve. 

7.  Kw^-a. 

8.  Antelope. 

9.  Kd-kap-ti's  brother. 
10.  Antelope. 


11.  Ma-si-um'-ti-wa. 

12.  Woman. 

13.  Girl. 

14.  Antelope. 

15.  KjC-tci. 

16.  Snake  priest. 

17.  Ta"-wa. 

18.  Snake  priest. 

19.  Hjt-ha-we. 

20.  Snake  priest. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL         77 

Wi-ki  began  to  paint  her  feet  and  the  back  of  her  hands  with  corn  smut 
mixed  with  honey  and  liquid  from  the  nd-kwi-pi.  He  placed  on  her 
a  white  blanket  with  feathers  at  the  back,  and  tied  a  white  feather 
from  the  altar  to  her  hair,  which  he  combed  and  fastened  behind.  He 
then  painted  her  chin  black,  and  arranged  a  sec- 
ond blanket  over  her  shoulders,  above  the  first, 
and  sent  her  to  the  west  corner  of  the  kiva. 
While  this  went  on,  Ha-ha-we,  in  response  to  a 
call  on  the  roof,  took  two  of  the  clay  balls 1  cov- 
ered with  meal  which  had  been  prepared  by  the 
girl,  and  a  number  of  little  sticks  of  which  I 
have  spoken,  rolled  them  up  in  a  blanket  or  cloth, 
added  a  pd-ho,  and  carried  them  to  a  man  who 
waited  outside.  Before  passing  the  bundle  into 
the  hands  of  the  latter,  he  sprinkled  meal  upon 
it.  As  soon  as  the  man  outside  received  his 
charge  he  hurried  away. 

Then  the  lad  who  was  to  personify  the  Snake 
Hero  entered  the  room.  He  was  somewhat  dif- 
ferently dressed  from  the  day  before  by  Wi-ki, 
and  this  difference  was  appropriate,  since  he  now 
represented  the  husband  of  the  Tcu-a-ma-na, 
or  Snake  virgin.  To-day  he  wore  the  Snake  kilt 
with  the  figure  of  the  feathered  serpent,  while  yesterday  he  was  clothed 


Decorations    of   the    Body,    Arm, 
and   Leg  of  the  Snake  Boy. 


1  These  clay  balls,  to  which  reference 
is  likewise  made  in  my  account  of  the 
Flute  celebration,  are  patted  into  shape 
by  the  hands,  and  then  sprinkled  with 
sacred  meal.  The  little  sticks  are  cov- 
ered with  some  sticky  substance,  possibly 
honey,  and  likewise  have  meal  sifted  over 
them.  In  the  presentation  of  the  Snake 
Dance  in  1893  these  balls  were  twenty- 
one  in  number,  and  were  made  by  the 
same  girl  who  personified  the  Tcii-a-md- 


na.  They  were  about  the  size  of  an  or- 
dinary baseball,  and  when  made  were 
carefully  laid  on  a  flat  basket.  Kd-kap- 
ti's  brother  cut  up  the  little  sticks,  and 
gathered  them  in  a  blanket.  They  were 
then  placed  in  a  food  basin  with  what  re- 
sembled mud.  The  md-na  received  her 
instructions  from  K^-kap-ti,  whom,  it  may 
be  noted,  is  the  courier  who  deposited  the 
prayer-sticks  in  the  shrines. 


78  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

in  the  ordinary  ceremonial  blanket.  His  facial  and  bodily  decorations 
were  the  white  zigzag  lines  described  in  my  account  of  the  Snake 
priests. 

Several  Snake  priests  went  to  their  fields  this  morning  and  brought 
in  any  snakes  which  they  happened  to  find,  and  some  of  the  others 
went  to  the  Mon'-kiva  to  celebrate  the  sixteen  songs  ceremony.  As 
Ka-kap-ti  had  not  returned,  Ka-tci  took  his  place  at  the  south  gate  of 
the  altar  during  the  dramatization. 

The  priests  then  grouped  themselves  about  the  pon'-ya,  the  Ante- 
lopes, except  Ka-tci,  on  the  north  side,  the  Snakes  on  the  south.  By 
Ka-tci's  right  there  sat  a  man  (novice)  with  an  ear  of  corn  in  his  hand, 
and  Ka-tci  himself  had  an  ear  of  corn  tied  to  a  stick.  Ha-ha-we  first 
lit  the  pipe,  and  handing  it  to  Wi-ki,  the  ceremonial  smoke  followed, 
similar  in  details  to  that  which  has  already  been  described.  Wi-ki 
gave  the  pat'-ne  to  the  Tcii-a-md-na,  and  said  a  few  words  as  if  in 
prayer.  Ko-pe-li  then  passed  his  ti-po-ni  to  the  Snake  youth,  who 
held  it  across  his  left  arm,  and  likewise  gave  him  a  live  snake,  which 
the  boy  held  by  the  neck.  The  Snake  chief  then  prayed,  and  Hofi'-yi 
wrent  out  with  a  tray  of  meal  and  a  crook,  and  all  the  novices  followed, 
each  with  his  ear  of  corn.  The  latter  hastened  to  the  shrine  between 
Wal'-pi  and  Si-tcom'-o-vi,  where  they  deposited  breath  feathers,  and 
returned  to  the  room  shortly  after.  In  visiting  this  shrine  they  went 
and  returned  on  the  run. 

Hon'-yi  hurried  to  the  foot  of  the  mesa  to  take  his  stand  at  the  ter- 
minus of  the  race-course  as  described. 

» 

All  the  Snake  men  to-day  wore  their  Snake  kilts,  and  had  other 
characteristic  decorations.  They  kept  time  with  their  snake-whips, 
which  were  held  vertically,  but  did  not  themselves  join  in  the  chorus. 
The  boy  personifying  the  Snake  Hero  and  the  girl  representing  the 
Snake  Woman  stood,  but  all  others  squatted  on  the  floor. 

The  songs  and  ceremonies  about  the  altar  were  much  the  same  as 
those  we  have  described  for  the  day  before,  but  differed  in  one  or  two 
particulars.1  On  this  day  there  were  more  people  in  the  kiva  than  on 

1  The  encircling  runs  were  not  made  by  K^-kap-ti. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI.  79 

any  since  the  ceremony  began.  At  the  close,  after  the  pipe  had  been 
passed  ceremonially  among  the  chiefs,  both  Wi-ki  and  K6-pe-li  stood, 
each  holding  his  ti-po-ni  in  his  hand. 

The  Antelope  chief  first  prayed,  followed  by  the  Snake  chief,  bowing 
their  heads  as  they  did  so.  Both  then  together  waved  their  ti-po-ni(s) 
four  times,  and  K6-pe-li  sprinkled  meal  upon  the  altar.  Wi-ki  placed 


<=•  .*-       ...      1-'>l-i».^±B  /  '=£/.  jfi/,  /^i  -o,-— ^  .-_  ^^^-Sir^i^+irr:.  ^= fc^Z'     ^-M-.^^/^-I  —  FT,  lyt 


Snake   Kilt.1 


1  The  dance  kilt  of  the  Snake  priests 
was  made  of  coarse  cloth,  sixteen  inches 
broad  and  forty  inches  in  length.  It 
was  stained  a  brownish  red  with  cu-ta, 
and  along  the  lower  rim  there  hung  by 
buckskin  thongs  pendents  of  two  sizes 
made  of  small  triangular  metal  plates  bent 
together  in  a  conical  shape.  The  name 
ce-vd-mac-e  has  been  given  me  as  the 
name  of  one  of  them.  The  smaller  kind 
were  said  to  have  been  obtained  from  the 
Ute  Indians,  and  are  called  se-la-la.  Sim- 
ilar pendents  are  found  among  the  no- 
madic tribes. 

The  middle  of  the  kilt  was  occupied  by 
a  zigzag  band  representing  Pd-lu-lu-kofl) ', 
the  great  plumed  snake,  which  has  four 
zigzags  on  its  body.  The  middle  of  this 


band  was  black,  with  a  white  border  on 
each  side.  Upon  the  black  interior  there 
were  depicted  arrow-shaped  decorations  al- 
ternating with  four  sets  of  double  parallel 
markings.  The  former  are  called  pa-vi- 
ku-kii,  footprints  of  the  duck  ;  the  latter 
frog  (pak'-wa)  footprints.  Between  the 
zigzag  zone  and  the  upper  and  lower  bor- 
der of  the  kilt  were  two  sets  of  parallel 
bands  representing  the  rainbows.  The 
lower  set  had  three  black  bands,  the  mid- 
dle of  which  was  broken  at  intervals  by 
five  white  marks.  On  either  side  the  mid- 
dle black  line  was  separated  from  that 
above  by  a  yellow  band,  and  from  that 
below  by  a  blue  (green)  band,  both  of 
about  the  same  breadth  as  the  black.  The 
upper  rainbow  was  similar  to  the  lower. 


80        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL 

his  ti-po-ni  horizontally  on  the  altar,  which  signified  that  the  ceremony 
was  over.  Ko-pe-li  wrapped  up  his  badge  of  office  in  a  blanket.  Two 
mothers  came  in  with  their  babies  on  their  backs,  carrying  cornstalks. 
The  pipe-lighter  then  passed  the  pipe,  and  several  other  persons,  among 
them  a  small  boy  decorated  with  brilliant  plumes,  entered.  Hon'-yi 
brought  a  crook  to  which  was  tied  a  string  with  an  attached  feather, 
and  handed  it  to  the  Antelope  priest,  who  passed  it  to  a  Snake  priest. 

Many  Snake  men  now  came  in  and  seated  themselves  on  the  south 
side  of  the  chamber.  Wi-ki  then  put  some  ashes  on  a  feather,  which 
he  moved  up  and  down  in  a  solemn  way,  saying  a  prayer  in  a  low  tone. 
He  waved  this  over  the  heads  of  the  people,  and  threw  the  ashes  out 
of  the  entrance  to  the  room.  He  did  this  four  times,  after  which  he 
touched  the  head  of  each  novice  with  the  feather,  saying  a  prayer  at 
the  same  time.  He  waved  the  feather  once  more  over  the  heads  of  all, 
repeating  a  prayer  as  before,  and  gave  each  boy  and  his  mother  a 
piece  of  dried  root,  which  'they  put  in  their  mouths.  Having  done 
this  he  passed  a  bundle  of  dried  roots  to  a  neighboring  priest,  who 
nibbled  a  piece  and  passed  the  root  to  his  neighbor,  until  every  one  had 
helped  himself  to  a  bite.  Each  woman  and  child  rose  in  turn,  sprinkled 
the  altar  with  meal,  and,  passing  south  of  the  fireplace,  mounted  the 
ladder.  The  Snake  chief  then  left  the  room  with  the  boy  who  per- 
sonified the  Snake  Hero. 

The  Antelope  priest  meanwhile  took  off  the  garments  of  the  Snake 
girl  and  folded  them  in  a  blanket.  The  Snake  chief  proceeded  to  his 
kiva  with  the  boy,  and  there  took  off  his  apparel.  Those  who  remained 
in  the  Snake  room  during  the  dramatization,  after  the  return  of  their 
fellow-priests  who  had  followed  K6-pe-li  from  the  Antelope  kiva,  took 
positions  about  the  fireplace,  and  a  pipe  was  passed  and  smoked  in 
silence  as  Su-pe-la  washed  the  black  smut  from  the  feet,  arms,  and  legs 
of  the  Snake  boy.  The  Snake  priests  one  by  one  smoked  long,  full 
puffs  from  their  pipe,  which  had  been  brought  from  the  Antelope 
kiva. 

From  the  close  of  this  smoke  until  the  ceremony  of  washing  the 
snakes  began,  the  occupants  of  the  kiva  were  employed  in  painting 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL  8l 

their  kilts,  making  new  moccasins,  and  in  doing  various  other  things  in 
preparation  for  the  dance,  going  to  other  kivas  for  these  purposes, 
but  all  the  members  of  the  fraternity  returned  to  their  kiva  when  the 
mystic  ceremony  of  snake  baptism  was  performed. 

Directly  after  the  close  of  the  dramatization  the  Antelope  novices 
were  sent  to  different  houses  in  the  village  to  have  their  heads  washed. 
Each  novice  was  given  an  ear  of  corn,  called  his  mother,  to  which  was 
tied  a  stick  with  four  feathers  at  equal  intervals.  An  account  of  Mr. 
Owens's  initiation  gives  a  good  idea  of  that  of  the  other  novices  this 
morning. 

When  a  person  wishes  to  join  the  Antelope  Society,  it  is  customary 
to  choose  a  father  from  among  the  members,  and  to  designate  him  in 
the  presence  of  the  others  by  placing  some  prayer-meal  in  his  hand. 
A  few  days  before,  Mr.  Owens  had  performed  this  preliminary  act  by 
handing  Ha-ha-we  such  an  offering,  who  sprinkled  it  upon  the  altar. 
Every  morning  at  sunrise  he  deposited  a  na-kwd-kwo-ci  in  the  shrine 
between  Wal'-pi  and  Si-tcom'-o-vi,  and  on  his  visit  to  it  he  carried  his 
ear  of  corn,  or  mother,  which  was  placed  by  the  side  of  the  altar  on 
his  return. 

On  this  morning  his  head  was  washed  by  a  woman  of  Ha-ha-we's 
family  in  her  house,  with  water  and  amole  or  soap-weed,  and  his  face 
covered  with  prayer-meal.  A  name  was  given  to  him  by  one  of  the 
members  of  the  household,  and  a  red-stained  na-kwd-kwo-ci  was  tied 
to  his  scalp-lock.  This  he  wore  until  the  close  of  the  Snake- Antelope 
ceremonials. 

During  Friday  none  of  the  Snake  priests  ate  anything  until  the 
close  of  the  day,  a  fact  which  they  frequently  reiterated  to  us.  The 
reptiles  were  free  at  that  time,  and  but  little  attention  was  paid  to 
them. 

WASHING    THE    SNAKES. 

The  ceremony  of  washing  the  snakes,  which  took  place  at  noon 
on  the  day  of  the  public  dance,  have,  as  far  as  I  know,  never  been 
witnessed  by  white  men,  and  certainly  have  never  been  described.  En- 
trance to  the  kiva  in  1891  was  refused  to  all  except  myself,  but  up 


82        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

to  the  last  moment,  before  the  ceremony  began,  there  was  considerable 
doubt  whether  I  could  remain,  and  although  a  previous  agreement  had 
been  made  with  the  chiefs  that  I  alone  should  be  permitted  to  witness 
the  ceremony,  several  of  the  more  conservative  were  inclined  to  refuse 
me  permission  at  the  very  moment  when  the  cryptic  celebration  was 
about  to  begin.1  A  happy  circumstance  made  it  possible  for  me  to 
witness  the  ceremony,  and  gave  Mr.  Owens  also  an  opportunity  to  do 
the  same.  It  was  agreed  that  Mr.  Owens  should  stand  on  the  ladder 
at  the  entrance  to  the  kiva  and  keep  all  others  away,  and  that  I  should 
remain  in  the  room.  From  his  elevated  position  Mr.  Owens  had  a  fair 
view  of  this  interesting  event,  and  his  observations  are  embodied  with 
my  own. 

At  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  large  earthen  vessel  similar  to  a 
food  basin  was  brought  to  the  kiva  by  Sii-pe-la.  This  bowl  was  of 
yellow  ware  without  ornament  on  the  outside,  but  decorated  within, 
especially  near  the  rim,  with  festoon-like  markings  and  star-like  figures 
alternating  with  each  other.  A  groove  on  the  outside?  slightly  sepa- 
rated from  the  rim,  surrounded  the  bowl.  The  name  a-asf-kap-ta  was 
given  for  this  vessel,  but  the  name  is  not  confined  to  it,  as  any  bowl 
used  for  bathing  the  head  has  a  similar  designation. 

Su-pe-la  first  spread  common  brown  sand  on  the  floor  in  the  space 
between  the  fireplace  and  the  north  wall,  forming  a  slight  mound  situ- 
ated about  midway  between  the  two,  but  nearer  the  fireplace.  Ko-pe-li 
then  brought  his  rattles  and  a  tray  of  meal  from  the  altar,  and  laid  them 
down  on  the  north  side  of  the  sand.  Meanwhile,  the  leading  Snake 
priests  gathered  about  the  bowl,  and  seated  themselves  in  an  irregular 
crescent,  reaching  from  between  the  sand  and  the  fireplace  around  the 
east  side  of  the  sand,  and  along  the  north  wall  of  the  room.  The 
space  between  the  Snake  pon'-ya  and  the  altar  was  unoccupied,  but 
the  whole  of  the  south  floor  of  the  kiva  was  also  crowded  with  Snake 
men,  who  squatted  facing  the  chiefs.  Three  men  stood  at  the  east 

1  This  ceremony  was  observed  a  second      and  myself  were  allowed  to  witness  the 
time  in  1893.     These  difficulties  were  not      washing  of  the  snakes, 
encountered  in  1893,  when  Mr.  Stephen 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 


83 


end  of  the  room,  near  the  four  jars  in  which  the  snakes  were  confined. 
Every  Snake  man  was  naked  and  had  rubbed  himself  with  spittle  and 
iron  oxide  (cu-ta),  and  wore  a  red  feather  in  his  hair.  No  word  above 
a  whisper  was  spoken  in  that  solemn  conclave,  and  it  was  evident  that 
the  most  awful  ceremony  in  the  whole  series  was  about  to  begin.  At 
the  very  last  moment  I  was  again  warned  to  leave,  and  told  that  I 
would  swell  up  and  burst,  or  that  other  direful  troubles  would  come 
to  me,  as  a  consequence  of  beholding  rites  which  no  one  not  a  priest 
had  ever  witnessed. 

At  one  o'clock  Sii-pe-la  solemnly  poured  a  liquid  into  the  bowl  from 
a  water  jar,  holding  it  as  he  did  so  to  the  four  cardinal  points  on  the 
four  corresponding  sides  of  the  bowl.  In  doing  this  he  followed  the 
ceremonial  circuit,  beginning  with  the  north  side  of  the  bowl  and  end- 
ing with  two  passes  representing  the  above  and  the  below.  He 1  then 
drew  with  meal  upon  the  mound  of  brown  sand  a  rectangle  with  a 
series  of  three  clouds  on  each  side,  the  semicircles  curving  inward  and 
parallel  rain  lines  around  the  outside.  This  was  done  very  hastily, 
and  so  poorly  that  one  could  not  have  told  whether  cloud  lines  were  in- 
tended or  not,  if  he  had  not  been  assured  that  such  was  the  case.  One 
of  the  snake  bandoleers  was  then  made  into  a  rude  coil  and  placed  on 
the  sand  within  the  rectangle 
of  cloud  symbols,  and  upon 
it  was  deposited  the  bowl  al- 
ready mentioned,  which  was 
about  half  full  of  liquid.  An- 
other bandoleer  was  tied  to 
the  ladder  by  another  priest 
while  this  was  being  done. 

The  following  chiefs  were 
seated  at  the  north  and  east 
of  the  bowl,  in  the  order 

named :  Si-kya-wis'-ti-wa,  Sii-pe-la,  Ko-pe-li,  Les'-ma,  M6-me,  and 
Kiitc'-ve.  Ko-pe-li  sat  exactly  north  of  the  bowl,  and  a  pipe-lighter 
squatted  on  the  opposite  side  facing  him. 

1  In  1893  this  was  done  by  K6-pe-li. 


Bowl  used   in   Washing  the   Snakes. 


84  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

The  pipe-lighter  lit  an  old  Snake  pipe  ornamented  with  the.  cloud 
symbols  and  passed  it  to  Ko-pe-li,  who  puffed  smoke  into  the  liquid. 
After  a  short  smoke  the  chief  handed  the  pipe  ceremonially  to  Les'-ma, 
who  sat  at  his  right,  and  he  followed,  performing  the  same  acts  in 
smoking  as  the  Snake  chief.  As  this  was  done,  all  the  other  Snake 
men  sat  in  silence,  the  majority,  except  the  chiefs,  holding  their  whips 
upright.  The  pipe-lighter  lit  a  second  pipe  and  passed  it  directly  to 
Sii-pe-la,  and  the  ceremonial  smoke  lasted  several  minutes,  being  par- 
ticipated in  by  all  those  about  the  bowl.  I  was  unable  to  keep  track 
of  the  course  of  the  pipes  in  their  ceremonial  rounds;  but  Sii-pe-la 
passed  his  pipe  to  Ko-pe-li,  who  returned  it  to  the  pipe-lighter.  At 
the  close  of  the  ceremonial  smoke,  K6-pe-li  held  a  handful  of  meal  to 
his  mouth,  prayed  upon  it,  and  scattered  it  in  the  liquid,  an  act  which 
was  immediately  followed  by  Sii-pe-la.  The  latter  at  the  same  time 
dipped  his  fingers  in  the  mixture  in  the  bowl,  and  I  have  the  impres- 
sion that  others  did  the  same  ;  but  just  then  the  Snake  priests,  who 
stood  by  the  snake  jars  which  were  in  the  east  corner  of  the  room, 
began  to  take  out  the  reptiles,  and  stood  holding  several  of  them  in 
their  hands  behind  Su-pe-la,  so  that  my  attention  was  distracted  by 
them.  Su-pe-la  then  prayed,  and  after  a  short  interval  two  rattlesnakes 
were  handed  him,  after  which  other  venomous  snakes  were  passed  to 
the  others,  and  each  of  the  six  priests  who  sat  around  the  bowl  held 
two  rattlesnakes  by  the  necks  with  their  heads  elevated  above  the  bowl. 

A  low  noise  from  the  rattles  1  of  the  priests,  which  shortly  after  was 
accompanied  by  a  melodious  hum  by  all  present,  then  began.  The 
priests  who  held  the  snakes  beat  time  up  and  down  above  the  liquid 
with  the  reptiles,  which,  although  not  vicious,  wound  their  bodies  around 
the  arms  of  the  holders.  The  song  went  on  and  frequently  changed, 
growing  louder  and  wilder,  until  it  burst  forth  into  a  fierce,  blood- 
curdling yell,  or  war-cry.  At  this  moment  the  heads  of  the  snakes 
were  thrust  several  times  into  the  liquid,  so  that  even  parts  of  their 
bodies  were  submerged,  and  were  then  drawn  out,  not  having  left 
the  hands  of  the  priests,  and  forcibly  thrown  across  the  room  upon 

1  Two  rattles  were  used. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  85 

the  sand  mosaic,  knocking  down  the  crooks  and  other  objects  placed 
about  it.  As  they  fell  on  the  sand  picture  three  Snake  priests  stood 
in  readiness,  and  while  the  reptiles  squirmed  about  or  coiled  for  de- 
fense, these  men  with  their  snake-whips  brushed  them  back  and  forth 
in  the  sand  of  the  altar.  The  excitement  which  accompanied  this  cer- 
emony cannot  be  adequately  described.  The  low  song,  breaking  into 
piercing  shrieks,  the  red-stained  singers,  the  snakes  thrown  by  the 
chiefs,  and  the  fierce  attitudes  of  the  reptiles  as  they  landed  on  the 
sand  mosaic,  made  it  next  to  impossible  to  sit  calmly  down  and  quietly 
note  the  events  which  followed  one  after  another  in  quick  succession. 
The  sight  haunted  me  for  weeks  afterwards,  and  I  can  never  forget 
this  wildest  of  all  the  aboriginal  rites  of  this  strange  people,  which 
showed  no  element  of  our  present  civilization.  It  was  a  performance 
which  might  have  been  expected  in  the  heart  of  Africa  rather  than  in 
the  American  Union,  and  certainly  one  could  not  realize  that  he  was 
in  the  United  States  at  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  low 
weird  song  continued  while  other  rattlesnakes  were  taken  in  the  hands 
of  the  priests,  and  as  the  song  rose  again  to  the  wild  war-cry,  these 
snakes  were  also  plunged  into  the  liquid  and  thrown  upon  the  writhing 
mass  which  now  occupied  the  place  of  the  altar.  Again  and  again 
this  was  repeated  until  all  the  snakes  had  been  treated  in  the  same 
way,  and  reptiles,  fetishes,  crooks,  and  sand  were  mixed  together  in  one 
confused  mass.  As  the  excitement  subsided  and  the  snakes  crawled 
to  the  corners  of  the  kiva,  seeking  vainly  for  protection,  they  were 
again  pushed  back  in  the  mass,  and  brushed  together  in  the  sand  in 
order  that  their  bodies  might  be  thoroughly  dried.  Every  snake  in  the 
collection  was  thus  washed,  the  harmless  varieties  being  bathed  after 
the  venomous.  In  the  destruction  of  the  altar  by  the  reptiles  the  snake 
ti-po-ni  stood  upright  until  all  had  been  washed,  and  then  one  of  the 
priests  turned  it  on  its  side,  as  a  sign  that  the  observance  had  ended. 
The  low,  weird  song  of  the  Snake  men  continued,  and  gradually  died 
away  until  there  was  no  sound  but  the  warning  rattle  of  the  snakes 
mingled  with  that  of  the  rattles  in  the  hands  of  the  chiefs,  and  finally 
the  motion  of  the  snake-whips  ceased,  and  all  was  silent. 


86        THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 

But  the  ceremony  was  not  wholly  finished,  although  the  snakes  had 
been  thrown  into  "their  home/'  the  sand  picture,  and  thoroughly 
dried  by  the  sand.  Sii-pe-la  sprinkled  sacred  meal  in  the  liquid  in 
which  the  snakes  had  been  bathed  and  threw  a  pinch  of  the  same  to 
each  of  the  six  cardinal  points.  He  then  prayed,  and  as  he  did  so 
all  the  assembled  priests  responded,  while  those  who  had  handled  the 
snakes  washed  their  hands  in  the  liquid,  and  rubbed  it  on  their  breasts 
and  other  parts  of  their  bodies.  K6-pe-li  also  prayed  fervently,  and 
sprinkled  meal  in  the  liquid,  followed  by  some  of  the  remaining 
Snake  priests. 

The  pipe-lighter  then  lit  the  ceremonial  pipe,  and  passed  it  to  Ko- 
pe-li,  who  smoked  in  silence,  puffing  first  into  the  liquid  and  then  to  the 
cardinal  points.  All  the  other  chiefs  did  the  same,  as  their  turn  came, 
and  conversation  of  a  secular  nature,  but  in  a  whisper,  indicated  that 
the  ceremonial  had  ended.  The  pipe-lighter  repeatedly  lighted  the  pipe, 
and  passed  it  to  the  chiefs,  while  many  of  the  other  priests  smoked  cigar- 
ettes or  turned  to  their  work  of  repairing  dance  paraphernalia.  Su-pe-la 
took  the  bowl  of  liquid  from  its  position,  raised  the  bandoleer,  and 
tied  it  to  the  right-hand  upright  of  the  ladder.  He  carefully  gathered 
all  the  sand  upon  which  the  bowl  had  rested,  and  that  from  the  path- 
way over  which  the  snakes  had  been  thrown,  placed  it  in  the  liquid, 
and  carried  the  bowl  with  its  contents  across  the  plaza  through  the 
western  arcade.  Following  the  path  to  the  end  of  the  mesa  beyond 
the  point  where  the  trail  descends,  he  halted  a  moment,  and  threw  a 
pinch  of  meal  to  the  north.  He  then  threw  some  of  the  liquid  to  each 
cardinal  point  in  the  sinistral  ceremonial  circuit,  and  having  done  this, 
he  poured  the  sand  over  the  west  side  of  the  cliff,  washing  out  the  bowl 
in  which  it  was  contained.  He  descended  the  first  terrace  and  carried 
it  to  a  recess  in  the  north  side  of  the  mesa  where  the  snake  jars  are 
kept.  Meanwhile  the  four  snake  jars  had  been  brought  from  the  kiva 
to  the  same  place,  and  side  by  side  three  (one  falling  and  breaking) 
were  deposited  with  the  bowl  in  the  cave.  The  ceremony  of  washing 
the  snakes  lasted  a  half  hour,  and  Ko-pe-li  went  out  after  its  termi- 
nation, carrying  the  rattles  with  him,  but  returned  later  with  empty 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL        87 

hands.     The  decoration  of  the  dance  paraphernalia  continued  until  the 
time  for  the  dance.1 

PUBLIC    CEREMONY    OF    THE    SNAKE    DANCE. 

A  description  of  the  public  part  of  the  Snake  Dance,  during  which 
the  snakes  were  carried  by  the  dancers  in  the  presence  of  spectators, 
has  been  repeatedly  described,2  and  naturally  was  the  most  striking 
part  of  this  weird  nine  days'  ceremonial.  This  exhibition  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  culmination  of  the  long  series  of  observances,  which  have 
thus  far  been  performed  in  secret.  To  it  the  Hopi  gladly  welcomed 
all  visitors,  and  many  persons,  Indians  and  white  men,  from  motives  of 
sentiment  or  curiosity,  attended.  The  roofs  of  the  houses  around  the 
plaza,  where  it  took  place,  were  crowded  with  Navajos,  natives  of  the 
adjoining  villages,  Americans  from  the  towns  along  the  railroad,  and 
most  of  the  people  of  Wal'-pi.  There  were,  therefore,  many  witnesses 
who  could  testify  that  the  account  here  given  is  not  overdrawn. 

There  is  an  unwritten  law,  governed  by  tradition,  that  the  Snake 
Dance  must  occur  as  the  sun  goes  down,  and  it  was  therefore  performed 
late  in  the  afternoon.  As  the  plaza  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  the 
village,  over  which  the  shadows  of  the  buildings  fall  at  that  time,  it 
was  impossible  to  get  a  good  photograph  of  the  observance,  and  on 
account  of  the  excitement  which  prevailed  it  was  difficult  to  observe 
all  the  episodes  of  this  weird  celebration. 

The  greater  part  of  the  afternoon  before  the  dance  was  passed  by 
both  Snake  and  Antelope  priests  in  their  respective  kivas  painting  their 
paraphernalia  and  dressing  for  the  coming  event.  The  stifling  heat  and 
impure  air  in  these  chambers  rendered  it  next  to  impossible  for  white 
observers  to  remain  in  them  longer  than  a  few  moments  at  a  time. 

1  It  is  customary  for  the  Snake  priests  soles  of  their  moccasins,  that  it  may  moisten 

to  manufacture  new  moccasins  and  to  re-  before  their  return.     All  or  nearly  all  the 

paint   their  kilts  on  each  biennial  occur-  dance  paraphernalia  are  repainted  or  reno- 

rence  of  the  Snake  Dance,  and  it  is  no  vated  before  the  dance, 
uncommon  sight  to  see  the  Snake  priests,          2  See  bibliography  at  the  close  of  this 

when  they  go  out  on  the  hunts,  bury  a  article, 
piece  of  leather,  of  which  they  make  the 


88 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPI. 


Ki-si.1 


Naturally  the  stench  was  not  as  bad  in  the  kiva  of  the  Antelopes  as  in 
that  of  the  Snake  priests,  but  there  is  no  good  evidence  that  the  foul- 
ness of  the  latter  was  due  to  exhalations  from  the  reptiles. 

The  Antelopes,  led  by  Wi-ki,2  emerged  from  their  kiva  in  full  ap- 


1  This  cut  represents  the  Jci-si  used  in 
the  Flute  Ceremony  at  Ci-pari-lo-vi,  which 
has  two  cubical  stones  at  the  base.    These 
are   absent   in   the   ki-si   of    the  Wal'-pi 
Snake  Dance,  but  as  the  ki-si(s)  are  simi- 
lar, I  have  not  made  a  new  cut  for  my  de- 
scription of  the  Wal'-pi  observance. 

2  Wi-ki's  body  was   stained  with  corn 
smut,  upon  which  were  imprinted  with  a 
corn-cob  white  zigzag  lines   on  the  same 


parts  of  the  body  and  limbs  as  has  been 
described  in  our  account  of  the  Snake  boy. 
On  each  shoulder,  reaching  to  the  nipple, 
a  long  O^-mow-tih  symbol  was  depicted, 
and  two  parallel  lines  were  drawn  on 
each  breast  reaching  down  to  the  girdle, 
which  was  adorned  with  white  paint  the 
width  of  three  fingers.  There  were  zigzag 
white  lines  down  the  legs,  and  two  garters 
of  new  yarn  upon  the  legs.  Before  he 


CHIEF  OF  THE  ANTELOPE  PRIESTS. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 


89 


parel  at  about  six  o'clock,  and  formed  a  line  in  front  of  the  Snake  kiva, 
facing  it.  As  each  Antelope  took  his  place  he  first  stepped  to  the 
entrance  of  the  Snake  kiva  and  cast  a  pinch  of  meal  into  the  hatch- 
way and  then  took  his  place  in  line,  after  which  they  marched  slowly 
through  the  arcade  to  the  dance  place,  around  which  they  filed  with 
a  slow,  measured  step. 

The  older  priests,  with  Wi-ki  at  one  end  of  the  line,  formed  a  pla- 
toon on  the  west  side  of  the  ki-si,  and  the  novices,  accompanied  by 
Ta-wa,  who  carried  the  whizzer  and  the  d-wa-ta-na-tci  ^  on  the  east. 
Wi-ki  bore  his  ti-po-ni  on  one  arm,  and  every  Antelope  carried  his 
rattle  and  a  crook  from  the  altar. 

The  order  of  seniority  among  the  older  men  of  this  society  was  the 
same  as  on  the  previous  day,  but  the  asperger  accompanied  the  Snake 
priests.  They  made  the  sinistral  circuit  of  the  plaza  four  times,  pass- 
ing .  the  M-si  on  their  right  hand,  and  as  they  did  so  dropped  a  pinch 
of  meal  upon  the  si-pa-pu  and  stamped  with  all  their  might  on  the 
board.  After  having  finished  these  circuits,  they  arranged  themselves 


put  on  his  necklaces  he  placed  them  before 
the  altar  for  good  influence,  and  most  of 
the  other  Antelopes  did  the  same,  while 
some  sprinkled  them  with  sacred  meal. 

Na-syun'-we-ve  was  decorated  like  the 
other  Antelopes,  and,  unlike  Wi-ki,  had 
armlets  of  cottonwood  bark,  with  the  inner 
surface  turned  outside.  Between  these  and 
the  arm  were  placed  cottonwood  twigs. 
The  armlets  were  about  an  inch  broad,  and 
were  tied  by  a  deerskin  thong.  He  car- 
ried a  gne-lu'k-pi  in  his  left  hand,  a  rattle 
in  his  right. 

H^-ha-we  was  appareled  like  the  other 
Antelopes,  but  had  bright  colored  paroquet 
plumes  in  his  hair.  Above  his  knees  his 
legs  were  decorated  with  two  parallel 
bars  of  white,  and  his  forearms  and  hands 
were  white.  There  were  also  parallel 
stripes  on  his  upper  arm  and  an  oval  white 


patch  on  each  shoulder,  with  a  splash  of 
white  on  each  thigh.  His  feet  were  bare, 
and  he  wore  a  white  kilt,  with  a  girdle  of 
the  same  color. 

Kwa"-a  was  clothed  like  Hd-ha-we,  and 
had  similar  paroquet  plumes,  and  was 
barefoot,  but  Ka"-kap-ti  wore  black  mocca- 
sins. No  red  (cu-ta)  breath  feathers  were 
worn  by  the  Antelopes  in  the  final  Snake 
Dance.  Ka"-tci  took  a  most  important  part 
throughout,  and  in  1891  personified  a  war- 
rior and  carried  a  whizzer,  a  bow  and 
quiver  over  his  shoulder,  and  a  buckskin. 
He  also  carried  the  standard  with  the  red 
horsehair,  or  the  d-wa-ta-na-tci.  Each 
breast,  and  likewise  the  thighs  and  calves 
of  his  legs,  were  smeared  with  white 
clay.  T£-wa  took  this  part  in  1893.  All 
the  Antelopes  wore  white  kilts  (kwatcf- 
kya-M)  like  that  figured  on  p.  66. 


90  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

in  a  platoon,  broken  midway  by  the  cottonwood  bower,  as  the  day 
before.     The  entrance  of  the  Snake  priests  was  in  marked  contrast  to 


exhibition. 


Wristlet  of  Antelopes. 

the  stately  appearance  of  the  Ante- 
lopes. A  low  hum  of  admiration  from 
the  assembled  spectators,  who  crowded 
every  available  foot  of  standing  room 
on  the  house-tops,  greeted  the  appear- 
ance of  Ko-pe-li  and  his  line  of  fol- 
lowers, who  then  rushed  through  the 
arcade.  It  was  a  sight  never  to  be  for- 
gotten when  these  warriors,  with  faces 
and  bodies  smeared  with  pigments  and 
heads  covered  with  bright  red  feathers, 
emerged  from  behind  the  rock,  and  four 
times  strode  around  the  plaza.  What- 
ever wealth  of  ornament  they  possessed, 
—  shell  necklaces,  colored  ribbons,  rare 
feathers,  or  shells,  —  they  had  hung 
upon  their  bodies  for  this  culminating 
Red  oxide  of  iron  tinged  all  their  paraphernalia,  and  their 


Embroidered   Cloth  attached  to  the  Belt  of 
the  Antelopes. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  91 

faces  were  given  a  hideous  expression  by  the  glistening  specular  iron 
on  the  cheeks,  and  the  kaolin  on  the  chin.  The  Snake  chief  led,  carry- 
ing  on  his  left  arm  the  badge  of  his  office,  the  sacred  ti-po-ni  of  semi- 
mythic  origin,  and  in  his  left  hand  the  brilliant  d-wa-ta-na-tci.  In  his 
right  hand  he  held  a  meal  bag  and  a  snake-whip.  The  newly  painted 
kilt  with  the  zigzag  figure  of  the  great  plume-headed  serpent  across 


The  Snake  Chief  taking  down  the  A-wa-ta-na-tci. 
.4 

it,  and  the  dependent  foxskin  in  the  rear,  decorated  his  loins,  and  he 
wore  his  medicine  cord  and  leg  rattles.  His  feet  were  shod  in  red 
moccasins,  and  the  ankles  girt  by  a  fringed  band  of  buckskin  of  the 
same  color.  Arm  bands  and  most  barbaric  necklaces  made  of  mussel 
and  other  shells  completed  his  paraphernalia,  which  was  duplicated  for 
the  most  part  in  that  of  all  the  other  Snake  priests.1  Les'-ma,  how- 
1  The  Snake  priests  wore  their  characteristic  kilts,  and  had  white  pigment  on  each 


92  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS    AT   WALPI. 

ever,  was  conspicuous  among  his  associates  because  he  wore  the  neck- 
lace of  bear  and  porcupine  claws. 

Without  delay  the  warriors  formed  a  platoon  facing  the  Antelope 
chorus,  which  then  began  a  low  humming  song,  and  while  they  sang  the 
two  platoons  swayed  their  bodies  laterally  as  already  described.  Each 
Snake  man  interlocked  fingers  with  his  neighbor  and  advanced  one  step 
forward,  resting  the  weight  of  the  body  on  the  ball  of  the  foot.  He 
then  swung  the  other  leg  backward,  and,  poising  himself  on  the  toes 
of  the  right  foot,  lifted  the  other  from  the  ground,  after  which  he 
brought  it  back  to  its  former  position.  At  one  time  every  Snake  man 
inclined  his  body,  now  to  one  side,  then  to  the  other,  and,  as  he  did 
so,  pointed  his  snake-whip  toward  the  earth,  and  moved  it  tremulously 
back  and  forth  in  unison  with  the  song  and  rattles.  Unlike  the  Ka- 
tci-na  dances,  there  was  no  thumping  motion  of  one  foot  upon  the 
ground  in  the  public  exercises  of  the  Snake- Antelope  observance. 

The  strange,  weird  melody,  accompanied  by  the  sound  of  the  rattles, 
continued  for  some  time.  At  the  proper  moment  the  asperger 1  with 
stately  tread  walked  between  the  lines  to  the  ki-si  entrance,  and  called  in 
a  loud  voice  the  archaic  words,  Tca-ma-hi-ye,  a-wa-hi-ye,  yo-ma-hi-ye, 
tci-ma-hai-ye,  sprinkling  the  charm  liquid  as  he  did  so  to  the  four 
cardinal  points.  Six  (?)  successive  times  he  repeated  this  episode, 
each  time  returning  to  his  place  near  Wi-ki.  The  songs  of  this  cere- 
monial closed  with  a  low  hum,  prolonged  by  the  sound  of  the  rattles 

cheek,  two  parallel  marks  on  the  breast,  side.     His  hair  fell  down  on  his  back,  and 

two  on  the  back,  and  a  daub  on  each  arm  a  white  feather  was  tied  to  his  scalp-lock, 

and   leg.     The   tail-feathers   of   Cooper's  A  wreath  of  cottonwood  leaves  surrounded 

hawk  hung  on  the   head  of   each  Snake  his  head,  and  many  strings  of  shell  beads 

man,  besides  the  red  stained  breath  fea-  and  turquoises  hung  about  his  neck.     In- 

ther  on  the  crown  of  his  head.  stead   of   leather   armlets   his   arms   and 

Na-hai-pu-ma's  chin  was  painted  black  wrists  were  girt  with   bark   annulets  by 

with  black  shale,  and  his  body  was  rubbed  which   cottonwood   twigs    were   confined, 

with   moistened   clay  of   a   bluish   color.  Anklets  of  the  same  material  were  worn, 

He  wore  a  white  embroidered  dance  kilt,  and  his  feet  were  bare.     He  carried  the 

held  in  place  by  a  white  girdle  with  long  bowl,  filled  with  liquid  to  the  brim,  in  his 

pendent  knotted  cords,  which  hung  on  one  left  hand,  and  in  his  right  an  aspergill. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI.  93 

preparatory  to  the  culmination  of  the  sensational  part  of  the  observ- 
ance. 

In  the  performance  of  so  many  uncanny  rites,  it  is  hard  to  say 
which  was  the  most  remarkable,  but  that  which  followed  was  certainly 
the  most  sensational.  The  Snake  priests  in  their  kiva  had  handled  the 
venomous  reptiles  with  abandon,  but  now  began  a  scene  unparalleled 
in  any  of  the  rites  of  these  primitive  people.  The  snakes,  which  up  to 
this  time  had  been  left  in  the  ki-si,  were  now  to  be  publicly  brought  out 
and  carried  about  the  plaza.  The  Snake  priests  divided  into  groups  of 
three  each,  called  respectively  the  carrier,  hugger,  and  gatherer,  accord- 
ing to  their  different  functions.  These  trios  gathered  in  line  near  the 
entrance  to  the  M~si,  and  the  carrier  knelt  down  in  front  of  it,  extend- 
ing his  hand  inside  while  the  hugger  lifted  the  carrier's  foxskin  and 
stroked  its  back  with  his  whip.  As  the  carrier  rose  he  held  a  venom- 
ous snake.  Without  hesitation  he  dropped  his  pd-ho  and  placed  the 
writhing  animal  in  his  mouth,  grasping  its  neck  with  his  teeth  or  lips. 
He  closed  his  eyes,  and  the  hugger  placed  his  left  arm  about  the  car- 
rier's neck.  The  reptile  was  so  held  that  its  head  pointed  towards  the 
right,  and  the  hugger  brushed  his  whip  before  the  serpent's  mouth  to 
shield  the  carrier's  face.  Both  men  then  started  to  make  the  circuit  of 
the  plaza  in  a  sinistral  direction,  closely  followed  by  the  gatherer,  who 
picked  up  the  snake  if  it  were  dropped.  A  second  trio  followed  the 
example  of  the  first,  and  soon  the  plaza  was  filled  with  priests  engaged 
in  this  way.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  participants  to  carry  the 
snakes  around  the  whole  circuit,  but  several  fell  by  the  way,  and  thus 
arose  a  series  of  exciting  episodes.  Here  a  rattlesnake,  dropped  on  the 
rocky  plaza,  coiled  to  strike  its  carrier,  but  was  quickly  picked  up  by 
a  more  experienced  priest ;  there  a  swift-moving  house  snake  made  its 
way  from  its  captors  among  a  number  of  spectators  standing  on  the 
edge  of  the  mesa. 

As  the  trio  passed  the  rock  in  their  circuit  with  the  snake,  the  car- 
rier was  sprinkled  with  sacred  meal  by  a  row  of  women  who  stood  in 
line  at  that  place.1 

1  Whatever  meal  remained  in  their  about  the  plaza,  was  thrown  on  the  writh- 
trays,  after  the  snakes  had  all  been  carried  ing  mass  to  be  soon  mentioned. 


94  THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

Each  Antelope  was  given  a  snake  to  hold  as  the  number  of  the  rep- 
tiles taken  out  of  the  ki-si  increased,  and  during  the  entire  time  they 
kept  up  a  song  with  the  accompanying  rattle. 


,/,-—  N  n 

\ 

/                      \w 

/                         \ 

. 

....    i              ^ 

v          y 
H  •*  —  «-  ^.  .         .  _^-  —  : 

^ 

=> 

Circuits  made  by  Antelope  and  Snake  Priests  on  leaving  the  Plaza. 

After  all  the  snakes  had  been  carried,  and  while  they  were  being  held 
by  the  priests,  Ha-ha- we,  followed  by  Wi-ki,  traced  a  ring  of  prayer- 
meal  about  twenty  feet  in  diameter  on  the  ground  near  the  sacred  rock, 
and  across  it  made  the  six  radial  lines  corresponding  to  the  cardinal 
points.  A  signal  was  given,  and  each  one  threw  the  snakes  he  held 


Snake   Priests  after   Drinking  the  Emetic. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  95 

into  this  circle.  To  the  struggling  mass  Wi-ki  said  a  prayer  and  the 
women  cast  whatever  meal  was  left  in  their  trays  upon  it.  At  a  second 
signal  all  the  Snake  priests  rushed  to  the  reptiles,  squirming  in  a  heap 
in  the  circle  of  meal,  and  grasped  as  many  as  they  could  carry  in  both 
hands.  They  rushed  through  the  arcade  down  the  trails  to  the  four 
cardinal  points,  from  which  the  snakes  were  gathered.  There  they 
dropped  their  burdens  and  immediately  returned,  running  up  the  mesa. 

When  the  snakes  had  been  carried  down  the  mesa  to  the  four  car- 
dinal points,  the  priests  returned  to  their  kiva,  divested  themselves  of 
their  dance  paraphernalia,  and  retired  to  the  south  side  of  Wal'-pi, 
where  women  stood  waiting  for  them  with  great  bowls  of  an  emetic.1 

After  drinking  this  the  Snake  priests  knelt  down,  some  with  heads 
over  the  side  of  the  cliff,  while  the  emetic  took  effect.  They  rubbed 
their  bodies  with  the  liquid,  and  then  retired  to  the  kiva,  where  the 
women  brought  a  great  abundance  of  food  for  the  priests  who  had 
fasted  during  the  day,  and  the  hungry  men  gorged  themselves  with 
food  until  far  into  the  evening.  The  Antelopes  did  not  feast  in  their 
kiva  at  the  close  of  the  public  Snake  Dance,  but,  after  divesting  them- 
selves of  their  dance  paraphernalia,  they  dismantled  and  destroyed 
their  sand  mosaic,  and  returned  to  their  homes. 

DISMANTLING    OF   THE    SAND    MOSAIC    IN    THE    MON'-KIVA. 

The  destruction  of  the  sand  altar  of  the  Antelopes  began  at  eight 
p.  M.,  after  the  public  performance  of  the  Snake  Dance.  Wi-ki  and 
all  the  Antelopes  took  pinches  of  sand  from  each  of  the  different  col- 
ored clouds  and  from  the  four  lightning  symbols  and  carried  them  to 
their  fields,  after  which  the  remainder  of  the  sand  was  heaped  up  in  a 
pile  on  the  floor.  The  chief  then  took  the  cylinders  from  the  heads 
of  the  two  male  lightning  figures,  sprinkled  them  with  pinches  of 
yellow  and  red  sand,  taken  from  the  bodies  of  the  snakes  of  the  two 

1  The  plant  ho-ho~ya-na,  which  is   an  which  has  the  curious  custom  of  elevating 

important   ingredient   in   the     emetic,    is  its  body  as  if  standing  on  its  head  when 

Physaria  Newberryi.    Ho-ho-ya-uh  is  the  touched,  which  has  given  it  the  suggestive 

praying  (ho-moya)  beetle,  Asida  rimata,  name  of  tumblebug  or  praying  beetle. 


96  THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

colors,  and  placed  them  by  the  side  of  his  pd-ho  in  a  basket  by  the 
altar.  He  then  sprinkled  them  with  meal.  The  fate  of  the  annulets 
on  the  heads  of  the  female  lightning  was  not  observed. 

Wi-ki  placed  the  bark  and  cottonwood  brought  by  the  Ko-ho-ni-no 
Indians  in  the  basket,  to  which  he  added  breath  feathers,  and  later 
carried  out  the  basket  with  its  contents. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  day  four  black  ^a-Ao(s),  closely  resem- 
bling those  which  had  been  observed  near  the  sand  picture  of  the  An- 
telopes on  the  evening  of  the  eighth  day,  were  observed  on  the  trail 
from  Wal'-pi  to  Ta-wa-pa. 

The  Antelopes,  on  leaving  the  plaza,  were  asperged  by  Na-hai- 
pii-ma  as  they  filed  slowly  back  to  their  kiva,  where  they  disrobed. 

In  the  weird  and  exciting  events  which  transpired  during  the  public 
celebration  of  the  Snake  ceremonial  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  care- 
fully observe  all  the  minor  incidents  which  occurred,  but  it  is  believed 
that  the  preceding  account  includes  the  more  important.1 

DAYS  SUBSEQUENT  TO  THE  DANCE. 

Although  the  main  celebration  of  the  Snake  Dance  closed  on  the 
ninth  day,  there  were  one  or  two  events  intimately  connected  with 
this  observance  which  occurred  on  subsequent  days.  The  most  impor- 
tant of  these  were  undoubtedly  the  purification  of  the  Snake  priests 
and  the  nii-i-ti-wa,  and  there  were  other  less  significant  acts  of  which 
I  heard,  but  which  I  did  not  witness.  The  former  occurred  on  the 
following  morning ;  the  latter  for  several  days  after. 

1  The  various  articles  which  biennially  ments  to  make  their  articles  as  sensational 

appear  in  newspapers  are  often  sensational,  as   possible.     Moreover,  too  often  a  f  er- 

and  in  some  instances  most  fallacious,  ac-  tile  imagination  has  helped  out  their  im- 

counts  of  this  part  of  the  ceremony.     If  perfect  observations,    and   nothing   but   a 

those  who  are  responsible  for  such  reports  garbled,  untrustworthy,  and  positively  un- 

would   confine   themselves    to  facts,  they  just  account  could  be  the  result.     In  some 

would  find  enough  that  is  weird  to  interest  respects  the  ceremony  was  disgusting,  but 

their  readers,  but  as  a  general  thing  they  there  is   no  reason  why  it  should  be  made 

have  spent  only  a  few  hours  at  the  mesa,  more  so  by  untrue  statements  such  as  have 

and  have  relied  upon  irresponsible  state-  been  too  often  disseminated. 


THE   SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI.  97 

I  was  led  to  believe  that  there  were  certain  prescribed  usages  regard- 
ing sleeping  or  eating  in  the  Mofi'-kiva  for  a  few  days  after  the  cere- 
mony, but  I  could  not  determine  from  personal  observation  what  took 
place,  although  repeated  visits  were  made  to  the  kiva  to  obtain  infor- 
mation on  this  point.  No  purification  ceremonials  were  observed  in 
this  kiva. 

TENTH    DAY    (OV-EK'-NI-WA).       PURIFICATION    OF    THE    SNAKE    PRIESTS. 

The  following  purification  ceremonies  took  place  in  the  Wi-kwal'-i- 
o-bi  kiva  on  the  morning  of  the  day  after  the  Snake  Dance.  On  the 
night  of  the  dance  all  the  Snake  priests  slept  in  this  kiva,  and  early  in 
the  morning  Sii-pe-la  brought  a  food  basin  containing  the  same  liquid 
as  had  been  drank  on  the  previous  evening. 

K6-pe-li  filled  his  mouth  with  the  mixture,  went  to  the  priests  as 
they  squatted  on  the  floor,  and  forcibly  squirted  the  liquid  from  his 
mouth  upon  their  breasts,  arms,  and  legs,  where  the  decorations  once 
were.  When  each  person  had  been  treated  in  this  way,  he  rubbed  his 
arms  and  breast  with  his  hands  and  then  put  on  his  ordinary  clothing. 

Every  one  nibbled  a  root,  which  was  passed  around  the  kiva,  and  at 
a  signal  seated  himself  for  the  final  purification.  Each  priest  took  a 
pinch  of  ashes  in  his  hand,  and  Ko-pe-li  laid  a  little  of  the  same  upon 
the  midrib  of  a  buzzard  wing-feather.  The  Snake  chief  then  passed 
around  the  room  in  sinistral  circuit,  waving  the  feather  over  the  head 
of  every  occupant,  and  threw  the  ashes  out  of  the  kiva  through  the 
hatch.  As  soon  as  this  had  transpired,  each  priest  moved  his  hand 
with  a  circular  motion  above  his  head  and  cast  what  he  held  in  the 
same  direction.  This  final  act  was  regarded  as  most  efficacious  in  puri- 
fication ;  but  it  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Snake  observance.  When  it 
had  been  performed  the  priests  went  out  to  their  ordinary  occupations. 

NU-I-TI-WA. 

At  intervals  during  the  four  days  following  the  Snake  Dance  small 
groups  of  persons  were  observed  in  the  three  villages  on  the  East  Mesa 
playing  a  game  which  was  no  doubt  connected  with  the  ceremonies 
described  above. 


98  THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

Young  men  appeared  from  time  to  time  during  these  days  in  the 
plaza,  or  on  the  housetops  of  these  towns,  holding  aloft  a  jar,  a  piece 
of  calico,  or  any  other  object  of  value,  as  a  challenge.  They  were 
immediately  set  upon  by  women,  who  chased  them  from  place  to  place, 
endeavoring  to  seize  the  jar  which  they  held.  The  holders  of  the 
objects  ran  hither  and  thither  through  the  villages  pursued  by  girls  and 
women,  but  never  by  men,  and  when  at  last  they  were  overtaken,  they 
were  forced  to  give  up  the  prize.  Many  of  the  Snake  priests  partici- 
pated in  this  game,  but  it  was  not  confined  to  them.1 

MELODIES  OF  THE  SNAKE  DANCE. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  get  phonographic  cylinders  of  the  songs 
which  were  sung  by  both  Antelopes  and  Snakes  during  the  ceremoni- 
als which  have  been  described.  An  exhaustive  report  upon  this  part 
of  the  subject  has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  B.  I.  Gilman,  whose  careful 
work  on  Zuni  music  may  justly  be  characterized  as  epoch-making.  I 
do  not  find  it  necessary  for  me  here  to  defend  the  phonograph  as  a 
method  of  collecting  primitive  music,  and  note  with  satisfaction  that 
several  well-known  ethnologists  have  adopted  it  for  this  purpose  since 
my  experiments  were  made.  While  this  instrument,  in  the  hands  of  a 
painstaking  specialist  like  Mr.  Gilman,  is  of  greatest  value  in  the  study 
of  the  character  of  music  and  the  preservation  of  the  same,  it  is  not 
claimed  that  the  method  is  perfect.  A  discussion  of  ways  of  musical 
notation  and  the  introduction  of  notes  unknown  to  the  Indians,  in  order 
to  harmonize  their  music,  naturally  falls  in  another  place,  where  Mr. 
Gilman  has  presented  arguments  in  reply  to  his  critics  which  are  well 
worth  careful  consideration.  It  is  well,  however,  to  say  something  of 
the  material  collected  and  of  the  methods  followed  in  collecting  it. 
The  most  important  of  all  the  cylinders  upon  which  this  music  is 
recorded  are  those  containing  the  sixteen  songs  sung  by  the  Antelopes 

1  Possibly  this  game  was  simply  a  con-  women.      The  custom   of  struggling  for 

ventional  diversion,  and  is  in  marked  con-  the   food  bowls    and   other   objects   is  a 

trast   with   the    several    days   when    the  counterpart  of  what  occurs  in  the  January 

Snake  priests  could  not  even  speak  to  the  moon. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  99 

in  the  consecration  of  the  prayer  offerings.  It  is  probably  not  far 
from  the  truth  to  say  that  these  songs  give  an  interesting  insight  into 
the  character  of  Hopi  melodies.  The  last  eight  of  these,  which  are 
called  the  "  come-down-quick  songs,"  vary  somewhat  from  the  others 
and  are  more  melodious.  A  single  song  is  recorded  on  each  of  these 
sixteen  cylinders.  They  were  sung  to  me  by  Ha-ha-we,  who  has,  I 
think,  the  best  voice  of  any  of  the  singers  among  the  Antelopes. 

When  he  gave  me  the  songs,  several  days  after  the  dance,  in  the 
quiet  of  my  own  room,  he  took  off  his  garments,  let  down  his  hair,  and 
rubbed  his  body,  so  that  he  was  in  the  same  condition  as  far  as  cloth- 
ing went  as  when  the  ceremony  was  going  on.  He  then  sang  the 
songs  one  by  one,  and  after  each  song  had  been  recorded,  he  desired 
to  hear  it.  When  he  had  listened  to  it  he  was  overcome  with  surprise. 
Ha-ha-we  smoked  after  each  song,  and  puffed  whiffs  of  smoke  upon 
the  cylinder.  When  all  had  been  taken  and  wrapped  in  paper  he  spit 
upon  them,  and  said,  "  It  is  well."  As  nearly  as  I  could  judge,  he 
sang  the  songs  exactly  the  same  as  during  the  ceremonial.  In  one  or 
two  of  the  songs  the  cylinder  was  not  long  enough  to  record  the  whole 
melody.  He  would  not  allow  me  to  stop  the  machine,  and  fearing  that 
I  might  lose  following  songs,  I  threw  up  the  latch  and  allowed  him 
to  sing  a  few  strains,  which  were  lost.  I  have  no  reason  to  believe, 
however,  that  what  I  missed  introduced  any  new  element  in  the  song, 
for  it  seemed  to  be  simply  a  repetition. 

The  song  sung  in  the  plaza  at  the  time  the  snakes  were  carried  in 
the  mouths  of  the  Snake  priests  were  sung  into  the  instrument  by  the 
Antelope  chief,  Wi-ki,  who  is  not  so  good  a  singer  as  Ha-ha-we,  and 
these  records  are  therefore  very  poor. 

The  machine  which  was  used  was  rented  from  the  Pacific  Phono- 
graph Company,  and  every  care  was  taken  to  preserve  a  uniform  rate 
of  rotation  of  the  cylinder. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  in  passing,  that  the  Hopi  Indians  sometimes  sing 
a  strain  in  their  songs  which  is  undoubtedly  European.  The  boys 
who  have  attended  school  may  have  brought  back  a  knowledge  of 
songs  learned  there,  but  as  a  general  thing  their  music  betrays  no  such 


100  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

influence.  One  is  immediately  struck  with  the  many  resemblances  be- 
tween Hopi  and  Zuni  music.  This  is  what  we  had  expected  from  the 
close  relationship  of  the  religious  ceremonials  of  the  two  peoples.  As 
far  as  I  am  aware,  nothing  has  yet  been  published  on  characteristic 
Hopi  songs. 

The  sixteen  songs  naturally  fell  into  two  divisions  of  eight  each, 
separated  by  the  smoking  of  the  great  O'-mow-uh  pipe.  Many  of  the 
words  were  not  Hopi,  and  were  repeated  over  and  over  again,  appar- 
ently meaningless  even  to  the  singer.  Both  song  and  words,  which 
were  reputed  to  be  very  ancient,  were  probably  archaic  or  borrowed 
from  some  other  tribe. 

As  a  general  thing  the  second  series  of  eight  songs  had  a  quicker 
time  than  the  first,  which  gave  them  the  designation,  "  Come-down- 
quick  songs."  The  first  series  opened  with  one  in  which  the  predomi- 
nating words  were  "  ha-ho-hai"  repeated  many  times.  The  syllables 
aye-ya-wa  were  sufficiently  prominent  in  the  second  song  to  give  it  a 
name.  The  fifth  song,  readily  recognized  by  the  prominent  monosyl- 
lables a-o-hai-e-%,  and  the  rapid  falling  tones  on  the  last,  was  somewhat 
different  from  the  seventh,  in  which  occurred  the  words,  o-ho-ye-ye, 
a-a-ha-ho,  a-a-a-ha,  hai-e-e-e.  The  seventh  song  was  much  quicker 
than  the  last  one,  and  contained  an  almost  endless  repetition  of  the 
refrain,  a-ye-he,  a-ye-he,  a-ye-he,  etc.  In  this  as  in  many  others  we 
found  constantly  recurring  the  syllables,  si-pa-pil-ne-e-e. 

In  the  eighth  song,  which  may  be  called  the  pollen  song,  the  altar 
was  sprinkled  with  pollen  by  all  the  priests. 

The  first  song  of  the  second  series  was  that  in  which  the  whizzer  was 
sounded  by  Ha-ha-we,  and  may  be  designated  the  whizzer  song.  It 
was  during  this  song  that  the  tips  of  the  crooks  in  the  hands  of  the 
singers  were  brought  down  until  the  attached  corn  husks  touched  the 
altar.  The  predominating  syllables  were  a-ha-ye-ye-he. 

In  the  rapping  song  which  followed  there  were  two  parts,  in  one  of 
which  the  taps  by  Ka-kap-ti  on  the  floor  were  separated  by  short  inter- 
vals, and  another  where  the  rhythmic  strokes  were  not  as  rapid.  The 
accompanying  syllables  were  ha-ha-wa-na. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  101 

The  0-wey-ho  song  which  followed  was  full  of  animation,  and  con- 
tained the  recognizable  syllables  wa-wa-ha-ne-e,  repeated  again  and 
again. 

Of  the  remaining  songs  the  two  last  were  very  lively,  and  highly 
melodious,  especially  that  which  may  be  designated  the  ma-si-le-we-e. 
The  series  closed  with  the  refrain  a-ha-ye-e,  in  which  there  was  a 
marked  explosive  sound  in  the  rendering  of  the  antepenult  syllable  ha. 
The  end  of  the  series  was  indicated  by  retardation  in  time,  and  at  the 
close  Wi-ki  waved  his  rattle  above  his  head  before  he  placed  it  on  the 
floor. 

SNAKES    USED    IN   THE    CEREMONY. 

Four  different  kinds  of  snakes,  called,  by  the  Hopi,  tcii'-a  (rattle- 
snake), tu-wa-tcu-a  (ground  snake),  lu-liik'-kon-a,  and  td-ho  (arrow), 
were  used  in  the  ceremonials.  The  Hopi  say  that  they  do  not  care  for 
water  snakes,  but  any  other  variety  may  be  used.  The  estimated  num- 
ber of  all  kinds  employed  in  the  1891  dance  is  sixty,  of  which  fully 
forty  were  rattlesnakes.  Although  the  majority  of  these  were  collected 
on  the  four  hunts,  several  were  taken  from  time  to  time  before  and 
after  the  same.  When  a  snake  was  seen  in  the  field  by  a  farmer, 
notice  was  given  to  one  of  the  Snake  priests,  who  brought  it  in  if  he 
found  it.  The  first  snake  was  captured  by  the  Snake  chief  Ko-pe-li, 
two  days  before  the  organized  snake  hunt,  and  there  were  at  least  four 
in  the  kiva  before  the  day  when  the  hunt  to  the  north  began.  One  of 
these,  for  some  unknown  reason,  was  generally  kept  apart  from  the 
rest.  When  the  procession  of  Snake  men  came  into  the  plaza  in  the 
public  dance,  one  of  the  priests  carried  in  his  mouth,  with  its  head 
projecting  between  his  teeth  like  a  cigar,  a  small  snake  which  had  not 
been  placed  in  the  ki-si.  As  far  as  I  observed,  the  reptiles  were  not 
fed  while  they  were  kept  in  confinement,  nor  were  their  fangs  ex- 
tracted. They  were  treated  with  the  utmost  care  and  kindness,  quick 
movements  were  avoided,  and  no  one  spoke  above  a  whisper  while  they 
were  in  the  kiva. 

Mr.  Owens  contributed  one  snake,  the  capture  of  which  was  so  pecul- 


102  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

iar  that  it  might  easily  have  affected  a  superstitious  mind.  We  were 
watching  Ka-kap-ti  as  he  returned  from  his  run,  and  just  before  he 
entered  the  village  coming  by  the  south  trail,  he  stopped  near  where 
it  passes  between  the  two  pinnacles  of  rock  and  the  mesa  sides,  and 
beckoned  me  to  come  down.  I  did  so,  and  saw  a  large  snake,  which 
he  would  not  touch,  crawling  across  the  path  in  front  of  him.  As  I 
had  not  had  great  experience  in  handling  snakes,  Mr.  Owens  came  to 
the  rescue,  and  he  carried  the  reptile  to  the  Wi-kwal'-i-o-bi  kiva.  We 
called  Wi-ki  from  the  Mon'-kiva,  who  simply  sprinkled  the  snake  with 
pollen,  and  placed  it  with  some  difficulty  in  a  bag  to  await  the  return 
of  the  snake  hunters,  who  were  grateful  for  it.  Possibly  this  timely 
contribution  to  their  collection  increased  the  confidence  of  the  priests 
in  our  good  wishes  for  the  success  of  their  celebration.  It  was  cer- 
tainly a  remarkable  coincidence  that  this  snake  should  have  crossed 
Ka-kap-ti's  trail  on  his  return  to  the  village,  for  although  we  had 
climbed  this  trail  many  times,  we  never  saw  a  snake  of  any  kind 
upon  it. 

The  snakes  were  very  docile  when  let  loose  in  the  kiva,  and  were  care- 
fully watched  or  herded  most  of  the  time  at  the  west  end  of  the  room, 
near  the  jars  in  which  they  were  generally  kept  during  the  absence 
of  the  priests  on  the  hunts.  The  reptiles,  as  a  rule,  crowded  closely 
together  in  masses  in  the  corners,  rarely  venturing  along  the  floor,  or 
endeavoring  to  climb  the  sides  of  the  room.  Possibly  it  may  have  been 
a  result  of  my  natural  history  studies,  but  I  confess  the  sight  was  not 
a  loathsome  one  to  me,  nor  was  I  affected  as  others  have  been  by  its 
horrible  nature.  Moreover,  although  I  was  in  the  room  with  the  rep- 
tiles for  hours  at  a  time,  I  met  with  no  hairbreadth  escapes  from  their 
fangs,  nor  passed  through  the  sensational  experiences  which  others  on 
more  limited  acquaintance  have  described. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  rattlesnakes  were  venomous  at  the  time 
they  were  carried,  but  it  seems  probable,  also,  that  the  fact  they  were 
well  treated  in  the  repeated  handling  and  association  with  the  priests 
may  have  familiarized  them  with  their  captors.  The  discharge  of 
venom  by  a  noxious  reptile  is  a  more  or  less  exhaustive  process,  and 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI.  103 

is  a  last  resource,  so  to  speak,  for  protection.  Could  not  the  law  of 
kindness  enter  their  dull  brains,  or  must  they  be  supposed  to  be  always 
ready  to  strike  those  by  whom  they  are  never  harmed  ?  Without  pos- 
ing as  champions  of  the  good  character  of  the  snake,  can  we  not  at 
least  do  him  justice  ?  I  once  heard  a  prominent  specialist,  who  had 
kept  rattlesnakes  in  confinement,  say  that  they  became  accustomed  to 
captivity  and  captors,  and,  in  a  measure,  tamed  so  that  they  were  not 
as  prone  as  in  the  wild  state  to  strike  at  every  living  thing  that  came 
near  them. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  a  rattlesnake  must  coil  before  it  can 
strike.  In  the  few  cases  of  a  snake's  coiling  that  came  under  my 
observation,  the  most  experienced  priests  were  called  upon  to  manage 
them,  which  they  did  with  the  greatest  gentleness  and  care,  almost 
amounting  to  reverence. 

We  have  never  seen  the  repeated  washing  and  stroking  of  the  rep- 
tiles, unless  the  single  ceremony  of  baptism  at  noon  on  the  ninth  day 
may  be  so  regarded. 

The  statements  of  Mr.  Mindeleff  in  regard  to  the  food  and  drink 
of  the  Hopi  snakes  are  strictly  in  accord  with  our  observations.  Mr. 
Trumb nil's  remarks  about  the  gorging  of  the  snakes,  in  his  account 
of  the  Central  American  snake  charmers  does  not  apply  to  the  Hopi 
priests.  No  food  was  given  by  them  to  the  snakes  after  they  had 
been  brought  in  from  the  fields,  as  far  as  observed.  The  reason  that 
the  performers  were  not  bitten  seemed  to  me  well  summed  up  by 
Mindeleff  in  the  following  quotation  from  his  article  :  — 

"  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  Mokis  rely  on  the  previous  treatment 
of  the  snakes,  on  their  charms  and  incantations,  rather  than  on  any 
after-treatment  of  themselves.  As  Dr.  Yarrow  remarked,  a  snake  which 
had  been  repeatedly  handled,  and  had  discovered  that  no  injury  was 
intended,  would  become  comparatively  tame,  and  this  would  account 
for  the  behavior  of  the  snakes  during  the  dance.  In  the  hands  of  the 
dancers  they  seemed  numbed  and  lifeless.  It  was  only  when  dropped 
rudely  on  the  ground  from  the  mouths  of  the  dancers  that  they  showed 
any  disposition  to  fight." 


104  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS   AT    WALPI. 

The  question  of  the  venomous  character  of  the  reptiles  employed  has 
been  more  carefully  considered  by  Dr.  Yarrow  than  any  other  observer. 
"  He  has  identified  four  species  of  snakes  used  in  the  ceremony,  only 
one  of  which,  the  spotted  rattlesnake  (Crotalus  confluentus),  was  poi- 
sonous. He  descended  into  the  snake  kiva  on  the  eve  of  the  dance, 
and  there  examined  the  snakes  which  were  to  be  used  on  the  morrow. 
At  his  request  a  large  rattlesnake,  selected  by  himself,  was  held  up  for 
his  examination  by  one  of  the  Indians,  and  upon  prying  its  mouth  open, 
he  found  the  fangs  intact  and  of  large  size."  Mindeleff  continues :  "  I 
may  add  that,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  1883  Snake  Dance,  two  rattle- 
snakes were  captured  and  sent  to  the  National  Museum.  They  were 
examined  soon  after  their  arrival  by  Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell  of  Phila- 
delphia, who  found  them  in  perfect  order,  their  fangs  had  not  been 
disturbed,  and  the  poison-sacks  were  intact  and  full  of  venom." 

Speaking  of  the  "  course  of  treatment "  which  the  snakes  underwent 
while  in  confinement  prior  to  their  appearance  in  public,  my  observa- 
tions differ  somewhat  from  those  of  Mindeleff,  although  there  is  no 
doubt  that  many  of  them  were  capable  of  inflicting  dangerous  if  not 
fatal  wounds.  He  says :  — 

"  The  snakes  used  in  the  dance  undergo  a  very  complicated  course 
of  treatment  in  the  kiva  where  they  are  confined  prior  to  their  appear- 
ance in  public.  They  are  washed  repeatedly  in  various  kinds  of  '  med- 
icine water,'  and  are  frequently  handled  or  stroked  with  a  downward 
squeezing  movement  of  the  hand.  Whether  such  treatment  prolonged 
over  a  period  of  five  or  six  days  is  sufficient  to  render  innocuous  a 
robust  rattlesnake  is  an  open  question.  Both  Captain  Bourke  in  his 
book,  and  Dr.  Yarrow  in  his  remarks,  mention  seeing  a  large  rattle- 
snake brought  in  from  the  fields  on  the  day  of  the  dance.  These,  at 
least,  must  have  been  capable  of  inflicting  fatal  wounds." 

The  various  liquids  used  by  the  Snake  priests  both  before  and  after 
the  dance  are  not  regarded  in  themselves  as  antidotes.  The  incanta- 
tions said  over  them,  and  the  rites  by  which  they  are  prepared,  are  to 
their  minds  much  more  efficacious  than  the  herbs  of  which  they  are 
made.  It  is  therefore  very  doubtful  whether  they  have  any  antidote 
for  the  snake  bite  which  has  any  medicinal  value. 


THE   SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  105 

In  the  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1892  In'-ti-wa  was  bitten  by  a 
rattlesnake,  and  his  arm  swelled  in  an  angry  way  from  fingers  to  shoul- 
der. Four  days  afterwards  he  came  up  to  his  home  from  the  plain 
and  was  visited  by  the  resident  physician  from  the  school.  He  was 
also  given  the  nd-hii,  or  antidote,  to  which  his  recovery  was  ascribed. 
I  can  hardly  believe  that  at  this  advanced  stage  of  inflammation  any 
medicine  would  physiologically  have  had  much  effect. 

In  a  discussion  of  the  questions  why  the  Snake  priests  are  not  bitten, 
or,  if  they  are,  why  the  wounds  are  not  fatal,  there  are  many  facts 
to  be  established  before  we  can  formulate  satisfactory  answers. 

In  the  first  place,  the  observers  who  have  seen  priests  bitten  by  the 
snakes  must  give  authoritative  statements  that  the  wounds  were  in- 
flicted by  venomous  rattlesnakes,  and  not  by  the  harmless  varieties. 
I  have  never  seen  a  priest  bitten  by  the  former.  Secondly,  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  bite  of  the  rattlesnake  is  due  to  a  spring  of 
the  reptile  by  muscular  uncoiling,  and  careful  observations  ought  to  be 
made  to  determine  whether  a  rattlesnake  can  inject  its  venom  unaided 
by  this  movement.  Can  it,  for  instance,  bite  when  carried  by  the 
neck  or  other  parts  of  the  body  where  such  muscular  action  is  well- 
nigh  impossible  ?  The  position  of  the  fangs  would  seem  to  point  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  cannot.  It  is  a  significant  fact  that  when  the 
reptile  falls  to  the  ground  and  coils  for  defense  the  greatest  care  is 
used  in  its  capture. 

The  treatment  of  the  reptiles  prior  to  the  dance  shows  little  to  lead 
to  the  belief  that  they  are  rendered  harmless,  and  the  medicine  in 
which  they  are  bathed  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  the  nature  of  an 
anaesthetic.  If  the  latter  means  were  relied  upon,  it  would  not  be 
administered  on  the  last  day  only,  and  if  the  nd-hil  were  an  antidote, 
why  is  it  not  carried  with  them  into  the  fields  during  the  snake  hunts, 
or  used  throughout  the  washing  of  the  snakes,  when  there  is  the 
greatest  danger  ? 

It  is  along  the  line  of  a  study  of  the  method  of  treating  the  snakes, 
rather  than  that  of  the  character  of  the  herbs  used  in  their  so-called 
medicines,  that  I  think  we  may  arrive  at  an  explanation  of  the  fearless 
way  in  which  these  Indians  handle  venomous  reptiles. 


106  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

LEGEND    OF    TI-YO,    THE    SNAKE    HERO. 

When  the  priests  were  asked  the  meaning  of  the  Snake  Ceremo- 
nial and  the  accompanying  dramatization,  they  always  referred  to  a 
strange  legend  of  the  adventures  of  a  youth  in  the  under-world. 
There  are  several  variants  of  this  story,  the  details  of  which  differ 
widely,  but  throughout  them,  notwithstanding  many  inconsistencies, 
there  is  a  remarkable  similarity.  It  is  not  repeated  at  any  set  time  in 
the  course  of  the  ceremonies,  and  there  is  no  one  version  which  may 
be  perfectly  exact.  In  view  of  these  facts,  we  must  also  remember 
that  we  are  considering  a  legend  which  has  no  doub.t  been  more  or 
less  modified  from  one  generation  to  another,  and  may  have  suffered 
somewhat  in  translation,  but  however  mutilated,  it  explains  many  things 
in  the  dramatization  ceremony. 

The  different  fraternities  have  their  own  traditional  lore  in  the  keep- 
ing of  their  respective  chiefs,  and  some  portions  of  this  story  of  Ti-yo l 
are  found  more  or  less  modified  in  nearly  all  of  them. 

This  lore  is  the  sole  history  which  they  have,  and  in  many  cases  is 
supported  by  ceremonial  dramatizations ;  but  it  would  be  unscientific  to 
build  any  theories  of  their  religious  beliefs  on  such  a  doubtful  founda- 
tion.2 

Far  down  in  the  lowest  depth  of  Pi-sis-bai-ya  (the  Colorado 
Grande),  at  the  place  where  we  used  to  gather  salt,  is  the  si-pa-pu? 
the  orifice  where  we  emerged  from  the  under-world.  The  Zunis,  the 
Ko-ho-ni-nos,  the  Pah-Utes,  the  white  men,  all  people  came  up  from 

1  There  is  good  reason  to  suspect  that  Stephen,  who  received  it  from  the  Ante- 
Ti-yo,  the  youth,  is  in  reality  a  hero  god,  lope  chief  Wf-ki.    On  account  of  difficulty 
Pu-u-kon-ho-ya,  the  little  twin  war-god,  in  communicating  with  him,  owing  to  ex- 
who   figures  prominently   in   many  Hopi  treme  deafness,  Wi-ki  was  assisted  by  Wi- 
legends.  ky-a"-ti-wa  and  Ma-si-um'-ti-wa. 

2  Several  variants  of  this  legend,  which          8  The  place  designated  is  a  saline  de- 
differ  in  many  respects  from  the  one  here  posit  in   the  Grand  Canon,    a   short  dis- 
presented,   have   already  been  published,  tance  west  from  where  the  Colorado  Chi- 
This  version  was  collected  by  Mr.  A.  M.  quito  debouches  into  its  greater  namesake. 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI.  107 

the  below  at  that  place.  Some  of  our  people  traveled  to  the  north, 
but  the  cold  drove  them  back,  and  after  many  days  they  returned. 

The  mothers,  carrying  their  children  on  their  backs,  went  out  to 
gather  seeds  for  food,  and  they  plucked  the  prickly  pear  and  gave 
it  to  the  children  to  still  their  cries,  and  these  have  ever  since  been 
called  Uf-ce-nyu-muh,  or  the  Prickly  Pear  People. 

Morning  dove  flew  overhead,  spying  out  the  springs  and  calling  us 
to  come,  and  those  wiio  followed  him,  and  built  their  houses  at  the 
waters  he  found,  are  still  called  after  him  the  Hu-wi-nya-muh,  or  Morn- 
ing Dove  People.  All  that  region  belonged  to  the  Puma,  Antelope, 
Deer,  and  other  horn  people,  and  To-ho-a  (puma)  led  my  people,  the 
To-ho-nyu-muh,  to  To-ko-na-bi,1  and  the  Sand  people  and  the  Horn 
people  also  dwelt  in  the  same  region. 

We  built  many  houses  at  To-ko-na-bi,  and  lived  there  many  days,  but 
the  springs  were  small,  the  clouds  were  thin,  rain  came  seldom,  and 
our  corn  was  weak.  The  Ki-mon'-wi  (village  chief)  of  the  To-ho-nyu- 
muh  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  his  eldest  son  was  known 
by  the  name  Ti-yo  (the  youth).  He  seemed  to  be  always  melancholy 
and  thoughtful,  and  was  wont  to  haunt  the  edge  of  the  cliffs.  All 
day  he  would  sit  there,  gazing  down  in  the  deep  gorge,  and  wondering 
where  the  ever-flowing  water  went,  and  where  it  finally  found  rest. 
He  often  discussed  this  question  with  his  father,  saying,  "  It  must  flow 
down  some  great  pit,  into  the  under-world,  for  after  all  these  years  the 
gorge  below  never  fills  up,  and  none  of  the  water  ever  flows  back 
again."  His  father  would  say,  "  May  be  it  goes  so  far  away  that  many 
old  men's  lives  would  be  too  short  to  mark  its  return."  Ti-yo  said, 
"  I  am  constrained  to  go  and  solve  this  mystery,  and  I  can  rest  no  more 
till  I  make  the  venture."  His  family  besought  him  with  tears  to 
forego  his  project,  but  nothing  could  shake  his  determination,  and  he 
won  them  to  give  their  sorrowful  consent. 

The  father  said :  "  It  is  impossible  for  you  to  follow  the  river  on 
foot,  hence  you  must  look  for  a  hollow  cottonwood-tree,  and  I  will 

1  A  syncopation  of  Tii'-kwi-kwum-bi,  tain,  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  San 
black  mountain,  now  called  Navajo  Moun-  Juan  and  Colorado  rivers. 


108  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL 

help  you  make  a  wi-na-ci-buh  (timber  box),  in  which  you  may  float 
upon  the  water."  Ti-yo  found  a  dry  cotton  wood  tree,  which  they 
felled,  and  cut  off  as  long  as  his  body,  and  it  was  as  large  around  as 
they  both  could  encompass  with  their  outstretched  arms.  They  gouged 
and  burned  out  all  of  the  inside,  leaving  only  a  thin  shell  of  dry  wood 
like  a  large  drum ;  small  branches  and  twigs  were  fitted  in  the  ends  to 
close  them,  and  the  interstices  were  pitched  with  pinon  gum.  All  this 
work  was  done  with  the  stone  axe  and  the  live  ember. 

The  father  then  announced  that  in  four  days  Ti-yo  should  set  forth, 
and  during  that  time  the  mother  and  her  two  daughters  prepared 
kwip '-do-si 1  for  food,  and  the  father  made  prayer  emblems  or  tokens 
called  pd-ho(s).  On  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day  the  father  brought 
the  tokens  to  Ti-yo,  and  laid  them  on  a  white  cotton  mantle,  but  be- 
fore he  wrapped  them  up,  he  explained  their  significance.  One  was 
called  the  wu-po  (great)  pa-ho,  and  was  a  slender  willow  wand,  as  long 
as  his  left  arm  from  elbow  to  outer  joint  of  thumb.  This  he  told 
Ti-yo  he  must  give  to  Ko-Jcyan-wilh-ti  (Spider-woman).2  Four  others 
were  called  cd-kwa  (blue)  pd-ho(s),  each  made  of  two  pieces  of  willow, 
as  thick  as  the  finger,  and  measuring  from  the  first  line  at  the  base  of 
the  left  palm  to  the  tip  of  the  middle  finger.  Of  these  blue  ^a-Ao(s) 
Ti-yo  should  give  one  to  Hi-ca-na-vai-ya  (the  Ancient  of  the  Six ;  the 
six  cardinal  points;)  one  to  Hu-zru-in-wuq-ti  (Woman  of  the  Hard  Sub- 
stance) ;  the  genius  of  all  hard  ornaments  or  wealth,  as  turquoise,  coral, 
and  shell) ;  one  to  Td-wa  (the  Sun) ;  and  one  to  Mu-i-yin-ivuh  (divin- 
ity of  the  under-world  who  makes  all  the  germs  of  life).3  He  also  laid 

1  A  quantity  of  white  maize   soaked  in  2  In  this  instance  they  rather  suggest 

warm  water  for  half    a   day,    and   when  the  nature  of  credentials.     Formerly  the 

partly  dry  winnowed  over  so  that  all  the  use  of  such  tokens  with  this  significance 

husks  fall  off.     When  dry,  the  kernels  are  was    common  with    the   Ho-pi-tuh   when 

ground,  and  the  meal,  which  is  called  kai-  sending  an  embassy  to  a  friendly  tribe  at 

nin-ftum-ni,  is   used  in  the  Snake  Dance  a  distance. 

and  other  ceremonials.    When  husked  corn  8  Minute  particulars  of  these  pd-ho(s\ 

has  been  boiled  and  dried  and  then  ground,  their  feathers   and  other  materials,   were 

the   meal   is    called   kwipf-dosi,  which  is  then  given  by  the  narrator.     They  were 

mixed  with  cold  water  and  drank  in  the  the  same  in  detail  as  the  preparation  of 
form  of  a  thin  gruel. 


THE   SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  109 

beside  these  pd-ho(s)  a  small  quantity  of  kwa-pii'-ha  (down  from  an 
eagle's  thigh),  which  he  said  the  Spider-woman  would  show  Ti-yo  how 
to  use,  and  all  these  things  he  wrapped  in  the  mantle  and  gave  to 
Ti-yo,  who  crept  into  his  box.  His  father  then  gave  him  a  wand  of 
hoffi-wi}  to  be  used  in  guiding  the  box,  and  his  mother  a  tcd-kap-ta 
(food  basin),  and  she  and  each  of  his  sisters  added  a  po-o-ta,2  heaped 
up  with  kwip'-dosi.  His  father  then  closed  the  end  of  the  box, 
and  gave  it  a  push  with  his  foot,  and  it  floated  away,  bobbing  up  and 
down. 

In  one  of  its  ends  there  was  a  small  circular  aperture,  through  which 
he  thrust  his  wand,  and  pushed  away  from  the  rocks  which  were  en- 
countered. The  spray  splashed  through  the  opening,  and  this  he 
caught  in  his  basin  when  he  wished  to  drink  or  mix  his  kwip'-dosi, 
and  he  was  also  provided  with  a  plug  to  close  the  hole  when  he  neared 
the  roaring  waters.  He  floated  over  smooth  waters  and  swift-rushing 
torrents,  plunged  down  cataracts,  and  for  many  days  spun  through 
wild  whirlpools,  where  black  rocks  protruded  their  heads  like  angry 
bears. 

When  the  box  finally  stopped,  Ti-yo  drew  the  plug,  and  looking  out 
saw  on  one  side  a  muddy  bank,  and  on  the  other  nothing  but  water ; 
so  he  pushed  out  the  end,  and  taking  his^a-Ao  mantle  in  his  hand 
passed  to  the  dry  land.  He  had  gone  but  a  little  way  when  he  heard 
the  sound  of  "  hist,  hist,"  coming  from  the  ground,  and  when  this  had 
been  repeated  four  times,  he  descried  a  small  round  hole  near  his  feet, 
and  this  was  the  house  of  Spider-woman.  "  Um-pi-tuh"  said  the  voice 
(You  have  arrived,  the  ordinary  Hopi  greeting),  "  my  heart  is  glad  ;  I 
have  long  been  expecting  you ;  come  down  into  my  house."  "  How 
can  I,"  said  Ti-yo,  "  when  it  will  scarce  admit  the  point  of  my  toe  ?  " 
She  said,  "  Try,"  and  when  he  laid  his  foot  upon  the  hole,  it  widened 
out  larger  than  his  body,  and  he  passed  down  into  a  roomy  kiva. 

pd-ho(s)  in  the  Snake  and  Antelope  kivas  *  It  is  prescribed  that  the  handle  of  the 

during  the  ceremony,  for  which  see  the      snake-whip  must  be  made  of  this  wood, 
figures  and  descriptions.  2  A    shallow    circular    tray    of    coiled 

grass,  wrapped  with  yucca  shreds. 


110  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

Ti-yo  unrolled  his  mantle  and  gave  her  the  wu-pa-pa-ho  and  the 
eagle  down.  She  thanked  him,  and  said,  "  I  can  be  seen,  or  I  can  be- 
come invisible ;  I  go  everywhere  and  know  all  things ;  I  know  where 
you  come  from  and  where  you  will  go  ;  your  heart  is  good,  that  is,  you 
are  an  upright  man ;  I  have  prepared  food  for  you,"  and  she  set  before 
him  two  corn  meal  dumplings  (pii-uhpi-ki),  which  he  ate,  and  was  filled 
up  to  the  chin.  Here  he  remained  four  days,  and  Spider-woman  told 
him  he  should  next  go  to  the  Snake  House,  and  she  would  go  with  him. 
Meanwhile  she  made  the  nd-hu,1  which  pacifies  all  angry  animals  as 
well  as  the  snake. 

On  the  fifth  morning  Spider-woman  gave  some  of  the  nd-hu  to  Ti-yo, 
telling  him  to  be  of  brave  heart,  and  when  he  came  to  the  angry  ones 
who  guarded  the  entrances  of  rooms,  he  should  put  a  little  of  the 
nd-hu  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue  and  spurt  it  upon  them,  and  they  would 
be  pacified.  She  then  told  him  that  she  would  now  become  invisible, 
and  immediately  perched  herself  on  the  top  of  his  right  ear ;  she  said 
she  would  be  inaudible  to  all  others,  but  would  constantly  whisper  her 
promptings,  and  would  remain  with  him  throughout  his  journeys. 
She  told  him  to  take  the  cluster  of  eagle  down  in  his  hand  and  step 
upon  the  si-pa-pu,  which  he  did,  and  at  once  they  descended  to  the 
under-world. 

There  the  eagle  down  fluttered  out  toward  the  northwest,  and 
thither  he  traveled  till  he  came  to  a  kiva  near  which  was  the  great 
snake  called  Ga-to-ya?  on  which,  as  prompted,  he  spurted  the  charm, 

1  This  term  is  derived  from  nwd-&-ta,  secret  close  to  my  heart ;  if  I  should  reveal 
a  root,  and  is  applied  to  any  of  their  it  I  would  die.  No  other  person  in  the 
remedial  specifics,  and  to  the  medicine  of  village  knows  it  but  Cd-li-ko.  When  the 
the  whites,  but  charm  is  perhaps  a  better  time  comes  that  I  think  I  am  about  to  die, 
rendering  of  the  term  than  medicine.  An-  I  will  impart  it  to  Hon'-yi,  my  eldest  sis- 
swering  a  query,  the  narrator  said  :  "  This  ter's  son,  who  will  succeed  me  as  Snake- 
is  the  same  charm  which  I  make  during  Antelope  chief." 

the  Snake  ceremony.     I  make  use  of  six  2  This  mythic  snake  is  also  said  to  exist 

plants,  of  the  colors  of  the  cardinal  points,  at  the  present  time  in  far-off  mountains, 

but  I  cannot  tell   you  their   names,  nor  and   is   described  as   being  not  quite   so 

describe  the  charm  nor  any  of  the  fluids  long  as  a  man's  arm,  but  nearly  as  thick 

drank  at  the  ceremony.    I  must  keep  this  as  a  man's  body.     It  has  large  eyes  and 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  111 

and  the  snake  turned  its  head  and  allowed  him  to  pass  to  the  hatch- 
way, where  two  angry  bears  stood,  one  on  each  side  of  the  ladder.  On 
these  he  also  spurted,  and  they  bowed  their  heads,  and  he  descended 
into  the  Tdl-a-kiva  (Snake  chamber),  where  many  men  were  squatted 
on  the  floor  around  a  sand  pon-ya,  all  clothed  in  snake  skins,  and  the 
walls,  the  roof,  and  the  floor,  were  all  decorated  with  snake  skins. 
None  of  these  people  spoke  a  word,  nor  was  any  sound  heard  in  that 
gloomy  kiva,  and  when  Ti-yo  displayed  a  pd-ho,  the  chief  merely 
bowed  his  head  in  recognition  and  motioned  him  to  the  open  si-pa-pu. 
Stepping  upon  this  he  descended  at  once  into  the  Tcu-tcub-kwa 
(Snake- Antelope  chamber),  where  everything  was  white  and  cheerful, 
and  many  men  were  squatted  around  a  beautiful  sand  ponr-ya ;  their 
garments  and  feather  plumes  were  bright  and  gayly  colored,  and  all 
gave  him  a  glad  welcome.  The  first  of  his  blue  pd-ho(s)  he  delivered 
to  the  chief  of  this  kiva,  Hi-ca-na-vai-ya,  who  looked  at  it  closely, 
and  then  laid  it  on  the  pon'-ya.  He  told  Ti-yo  he  had  been  expecting 
him,  and  thanked  him  for  coming ;  he  also  said,  "  I  cause  the  rain- 
clouds  to  come  and  go,  and  the  ripening  winds  to  blow,  and  I  direct 
the  going  and  coming  of  all  the  mountain  animals ;  before  you 
return  you  will  desire  many  things,  ask  freely  of  me  and  you  will  re- 


ceive." 


Spider- woman  now  advised  him  to  resume  the  journey,  and  Ti-yo 
passed  upward  to  the  hatchway,  and  the  eagle  down  floated  to  the  west, 
and  looking  in  that  direction  he  saw  a  great  water,  and  far  away  out 
in  its  midst  the  long  tips  of  a  ladder  projecting  from  the  roof  of  a 
kiva.  Spider-woman  said  :  "  That  is  the  house  of  Hu-zrii"in-wuq-ti, 
and  it  is  on  dry  land  which  floats  on  the  surface  of  the  great  water ; 
let  us  go."  And  when  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  great  water, 
Ti-yo  spurted  upon  a  part  of  the  eagle  down  and  cast  it  upon  the 
water,  which  parted  on  either  hand,  and  he  traveled  to  the  distant 

great  teeth,  which  can  pierce  the  thickest  the  angry  guardian   of  all  snakes.     The 

buckskin ;  its  body  is  gray  and  its  head  Navajos  have  a  very  similar  myth ;  with 

of  all  colors,  and  it  can  breathe  death  to  them  it  is  also  called  the  Great   Snake, 

a  man  at  a  distance.     It  is  spoken  of  as  without  any  other  distinctive  name. 


112  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL 

house  with  dry  feet.  When  he  approached  the  ladder  two  angry  pu- 
mas started  up,  but  he  spurted  charm  liquid  on  them,  and  they  turned 
their  heads  towards  him  and  said,  "We  have  never  permitted  any 
stranger  to  live  who  came  here,  but  now  we  know  your  breath  is  pure 
and  your  heart  is  brave ; "  and  they  lay  down  on  each  side  of  the  lad- 
der, and  he  stepped  between  them  and  descended  it. 

The  ladder  was  covered  with  small  glittering  white  shells,  and  the 
inside  of  the  kiva  was  resplendent  with  turquoise  and  coral,  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor  a  very  old  woman  was  squatted  quite  alone.  Her 
eyes  were  dim,  her  hair  was  gray,  her  skin  deeply  wrinkled,  and  her 
mantle  looked  old  and  dingy,  but  Spider-woman  told  Ti-yo,  "  This  is 
the  kind  mother  ;  her  heart  is  tender  and  generous  ;  and  every  night 
when  she  lays  aside  her  mantle  she  becomes  an  enchanting  maiden,  arid 
she  is  arrayed  with  splendor  at  dawn."  Then  Ti-yo  gave  her  the  sec- 
ond pd-hoy  which  she  looked  at  very  carefully,  and  said,  "  This  was 
made  by  one  who  knows ;  I  thank  you.  Sit  down  and  eat,  and  ask  for 
any  of  my  possessions  you  desire."  She  prepared  a  food  of  corn  pollen 
in  a  large  turquoise  bowl,  saying,  "  This  will  be  ready  for  you  and  the 
father,  when  he  comes,  that  you  may  both  eat  and  start  again  without 
delay."  While  this  was  being  said,  Spider-woman  whispered  him  to  get 
ready  his  pd-ho  for  Td-wa  (the  Sun) ;  and  like  the  noise  of  a  mighty 
lightning  bolt,  the  Sun  came  rushing  down  through  the  air  and  alighted 
on  the  kiva  roof  with  a  great  crash. 

He  entered,  and  hung  up  his  beautiful  shining  shield,  and  it  cried 
"  ching-a-ling  "  as  it  dangled  against  the  wall.  He  wore  a  white  buck- 
skin garment,  and  the  arms  and  legs  of  it  were  decorated  with  fringes 
of  jingling  white  shells ;  it  was  thick  and  heavy,  because  it  is  very 
cold  in  the  sky  region,  and  it  had  many  pockets  in  which  the  Sun  put 
all  the  pd-ho(s)  he  found  set  out  for  him  during  his  day's  travel.  He 
took  out  great  numbers  of  these  and  laid  them  before  the  old  woman, 
who  scrutinized  and  sorted  them  ;  she  put  aside  a  part  of  them  with 
her  right  hand  :  "  These  are  from  the  people  of  good  hearts,"  she  said, 
"  and  I  will  send  them  what  they  ask."  "  But  these,"  she  said,  as  she 
cast  away  a  great  many  with  her  left  hand,  "  are  from  liars  and  deceit- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  113 

ful  people  ;  they  hurt  my  eyes  to  look  at  them."  Then  the  Sun  took 
from  his  right  wrist  the  scalps  of  all  who  had  been  slain  in  battle 
through  the  day  on  the  right  side  of  his  path,  and  from  his  left  wrist 
those  of  the  slain  who  had  fallen  on  the  left  side  of  his  path.  And 
the  old  woman  wept  and  mourned :  "  I  grieve  when  you  come  here  ;  it 
pains  me  as  I  touch  you ;  my  heart  is  sad,  and  I  tremble  as  I  look  at 
you  ;  I  long  for  all  my  people  to  live  in  peace ;  will  they  never  cease 
from  quarreling  ?  "  and  she  hung  up  the  scalps  along  the  walls  of  her 
house. 

Ti-yo  then  placed  his  third  pd-ho  in  the  Sun's  hand,  and  as  the  oth- 
ers had  done,  he  scanned  it  narrowly,  and  said  :  "  It  is  well,  my  friend, 
my  relative,  my  son ;  let  us  smoke."  He  filled  a  huge  turquoise  pipe 
with  pi-ha  (native  tobacco),  and  after  they  had  smoked,  they  ate  the 
food  prepared  for  them,  and  the  Sun  told  Ti-yo  to  come  with  him  on 
his  journey  through  the  under- world,  and  across  to  his  place  of  rising. 
He  told  Ti-yo  to  grasp  his  girdle,  and  they  went  down  through  the 
si-pa-pu  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  to  the  lowest  under-world,  the  house 
of  Mli-i-yin'-wuh. 

In  this  place  a  host  of  eager  men  passed  back  and  forth,  up  and 
down,  all  working  with  anxious  haste,  and  the  Sun  led  Ti-yo  to  the 
middle  of  this  industrious  throng,  where  Ti-yo  gave  his  remaining 
pd-ho  to  Mu-i-yin'-wuh.  After  inspecting  the  pd-ho,  he  said  he  would 
always  listen  to  the  wishes  of  Ti-yo9 s  people,  and  then  he  explained 
that  at  his  command  the  germs  of  all  living  things  were  made ;  the 
seeds  of  all  vegetation  that  grows  upon  the  surface  of  the  upper-world, 
and  of  all  animals  and  men  who  walk  upon  it ;  and  the  multitude  he 
saw  were  ceaselessly  occupied  at  this  task.  He  noticed  that  the  largest 
and  handsomest  of  these  men  were  those  who  were  most  earnest  and 
industrious,  and  the  stunted,  scraggy  creatures  were  the  careless,  lazy 
ones.  After  further  assurance  that  the  maker  of  the  germs  would 
always  hear  his  petitions,  Ti-yo  again  grasped  the  Sun's  girdle,  and  was 
carried  by  him  upward  and  eastward  to  Ta-wa-yum-tya-ld  (where  the 
sun  rises). 

When  they  stopped  they  were  in  Ta-wd-ki  (Sun-house),  which  is  a 


114  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

beautiful  kiva  like  that  in  the  west,  but  red  in  color,  and  they  ate  food 
from  a  pink  stone  bowl.  There  is  no  woman  here ;  the  Sun  and  his 
brother  Tai-o-wa  alternately  occupy  it.  Four  days  Td-wa  carries  the 
shield  across  the  heavens,  returning  each  night  through  the  under- 
world, reaching  the  east  just  a  short  time  before  he  resumes  his  jour- 
ney through  the  sky ;  then  he  rests  in  this  Sun-house,  while  Tai-o-wa 
performs  his  allotted  four  days'  labor  carrying  the  shield.  Td-wa  im- 
pressed on  Ti-yo  the  importance  of  remembering  all  the  things  he  had 
seen,  and  all  that  he  would  yet  be  shown,  and  he  taught  him  to  make 
the  $\mpd-ho.  Then  his  eyes  would  be  opened,  and  thenceforth  he  would 
know  all  people,  would  look  in  their  hearts  and  know  their  thoughts  ; 
and  as  a  token  he  then  heard  his  family  mourning  for  him  and  calling 
upon  him  to  return.  And  the  Sun  said,  "  I  counsel  you  that  all  of  the 
gifts  you  shall  receive,  the  blessing  you  shall  most  prize  is  the  rain- 
cloud  you  will  get  from  the  chief  of  the  Snake- Antelope  kiva."  Td-wa 
then  taught  him  to  make  the  great  sun  pd-ho,  which  was  as  long  as 
from  his  heart  to  his  finger  tips,  and  he  gave  him  the  skin  of  le-tai-yo 
(gray  fox),  which  Ti-yo  hung  upon  it  and  placed  it  upon  the  hatch- 
way. After  a  little  he  gave  him  the  skin  of  si-ky-tai-d-yo  (yellow  fox), 
which  Ti-yo  hung  over  the  gray.  Then  the  Sun  was  ready  to  leave 
his  house,  and  he  took  Ti-yo  on  his  shoulder  and  carried  him  across 
the  sky,  and  showed  him  all  the  world,  and  at  sunset  they  came  again 
to  the  house  in  the  west. 

The  old  woman  said,  "  Now  you  will  leave  me ;  take  these  gifts,"  and 
she  gave  him  of  all  her  house  contained,  and  he  thanked  her  and  placed 
them  in  his  mantle,  and  went  up  the  ladder.  At  the  prompting  of 
Spider-woman  he  spurted  nd-hu  upon  the  remainder  of  the  eagle  down 
and  cast  it  upon  the  water,  and  as  before  it  parted  to  the  right  and  left, 
and  he  passed  over  to  dry  land. 

There  was  still  the  yellow  light  of  evening  as  he  approached  the 
Snake  kiva,  and  he  saw  the  red-fringed  bow  hanging  across  the  ladder, 
and  Spider-woman  told  him  this  was  the  fifth  day  since  their  previous 
visit.  Unchallenged  he  went  down  and  into  the  Snake- Antelope  kiva, 
and  sat  beside  the  pon'-ya  four  days,  listening  to  the  teachings  of  the 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI.  115 

chief,  who  said,  "  Here  we  have  abundance  of  rain  and  corn  ;  in  your 
land  there  is  but  little ;  so  thus  shall  you  use  the  nd-hu  ;  fasten  these 
prayers  in  your  breast ;  and  these  are  the  songs  you  shall  sing  and 
these  the  pd-ho(s)  you  shall  make  ; l  and  when  you  display  the  white 
and  the  black  on  your  bodies  the  clouds  will  coine."  He  then  gave 
Ti-yo  a  part  of  everything  from  both  kivas,  and  from  the  Snake-Ante- 
lope pon'-ya  he  gave  him  portions  of  the  different  colored  sands,  and 
these,  he  said,  were  the  colors  of  the  corn  Ti-yo' s  prayers  would  bring. 
He  also  said,  "  Here  are  two  maidens  who  know  the  charm  which  pre- 
vents death  from  the  bite  of  the  rattlesnake ;  take  them  with  you  ;  and 
one  you  shall  give  to  your  younger  brother ;  "  and  they  were  enveloped 
with  white,  fleecy  clouds,  like  a  mantle.  Then  from  the  pon'-ya  he  gave 
Ti-yo  a  ti-po-ni,  and  charged  him  always  to  preserve  it  with  jealous 
care,  saying,  "  Truly  this  is  your  mother ;  "  and  from  the  Snake  pon'-ya 
he  gave  him  a  ti-po-ni  for  his  younger  brother.  When  Ti-yo  had 
wrapped  up  all  these  things  in  his  mantle,  the  chief  said,  "  Remember 
all  you  have  heard,  and  all  that  I  have  done,  do  you  the  same,  and 
take  back  with  you  my  heart,  my  bowels,  all  my  thoughts,  and  you 
shall  be  called  by  my  name,  Hi-ca-na-vai-ya"  Then  Ti-yo  ascended 
to  the  hatchway,  and  the  two  maidens  followed  him. 

Spider-woman  then  led  them  back  to  her  house,  where  they  remained 
four  days,  and  Ti-yo  hunted  rabbits  for  her.  She  then  told  him  to 
keep  secret  all  he  had  heard  and  seen,  and  to  reveal  it  only  to  those 
whose  hearts  he  should  try.  While  Ti-yo  was  hunting,  Spider-woman 
made  a  beautiful  ho-a-puh?  around  which  she  fastened  a  cotton  cord, 
and  on  the  fifth  morning  she  placed  Ti-yo  in  it,  with  a  maiden  on  each 
side.  She  then  ascended  through  the  hatch  and  disappeared,  but  soon 
a  filament  descended  and  attached  itself  to  the  cord,  and  the  basket  was 
drawn  up  to  the  white  clouds,  which  sailed  away  to  To-ko-na-bi,  and 
there  Spider-woman  again  spun  out  her  filament  and  lowered  the  basket 

1  Here  again  was  narrated  the  rites  of  2  A  deep  narrow  pannier,  with  rounded 

the   kiva   as   still  practiced,  but   nothing  ends,  of  coarse  interlaced  wicker,  carried 

further   concerning   the   nd-hfi    could   be  on  the  back, 
elicited. 


116  THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

to  the  ground.  Ti-yo  took  the  maidens  to  his  mother's  house,  and  no 
stranger  saw  them  for  four  days,  and  the  two  brothers  prepared  the 
bridal  presents.1 

On  the  fifth  morning  the  maidens'  heads  were  washed  by  Ti-y6*s 
mother,  and  from  the  house-top  he  proclaimed  that,  as  a  strange  people 
had  now  come  among  them,  in  sixteen  days  their  feast  would  be  cele- 
brated ;  and  to  this  day,  the  narrator  said,  we  announce  this  Snake 
feast  sixteen  days  ahead.  Ti-yo  and  one  maiden  went  into  a  kiva, 
which  he  called  the  Snake- Antelope  kiva,  and  the  younger  brother  and 
the  other  maiden  went  into  another,  which  was  called  the  Snake  kiva. 
[Here  the  narrator  gave  a  recital  of  initiations  made  by  Ti-yo,  and 
instruction  concerning  the  ceremony,  the  making  of  pd-ho(s)y  and  the 
other  countless  details,  all  of  which  were  but  a  rehearsal  of  those  still 
practiced,  excepting  that,  on  this  occasion,  they  did  not  go  out  to  gather 
snakes  on  four  successive  days  as  they  do  now.] 

On  the  fifth  evening  of  the  ceremony,  and  for  three  succeeding  even- 
ings, low  clouds  trailed  over  To-ko-na-bi,  and  Snake  people  from  the 
under-world  came  from  them,  and  went  into  the  kiva(s),  and  ate  only 
corn  pollen  for  food,  and  on  leaving  were  not  seen  again.  Each  of 
four  evenings  brought  a  new  group  of  Snake  people,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  they  were  found  in  the  valleys,  metamorphosed  into 
reptiles  of  all  kinds. 

On  the  ninth  morning  the  Tcii-a-md-na  (Snake  maidens)  said : 
"  We  understand  this ;  let  the  younger  brothers  (the  Snake  society)  go 
out  and  bring  them  all  in  and  wash  their  heads,  and  let  them  dance 
with  you."  And  this  was  done,  and  at  sunset  a  Snake  house  of  meal 
was  made  by  Tiryo,  and  the  snakes  were  laid  within  it,  and  all  the 
people  cast  their  prayer-meal  upon  them,  and  then  the  younger  bro- 
thers carried  them  out  to  the  valleys,  and  they  returned  to  the  Snake 
kiva  of  the  under-world,  bearing  the  petitions  of  all  the  people. 

1  A  Hopi  bride  remains  within  doors  ders,  a  long  girdle,  and  makes  a  pair  of 

four  days  after  marriage.    The  bridegroom  woman's  boots,  which  constitute  the  bridal 

weaves  a  blue  cotton  tunic  gown,  a  white  present, 
cotton  mantle,  with  scarlet  and  black  bor- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  117 

After  this  both  of  the  Snake  maidens  gave  birth  to  numerous  small 
snakes ;  their  heads  were  washed,  and  they  were  dried  in  sand  heaps 
on  the  floor,  and  their  mothers  sat  beside  them.  Children  coming  into 
play  with  the  little  snakes  were  bitten,  and  they  swelled  up  and  died, 
and  their  mothers  clamored  against  the  Tcii-a-nid-na  and  their  brood, 
and  compelled  the  men  to  consent  to  migrate ;  and  we  abandoned  our 
villages,  and  both  of  the  Tcu-a^nd-na  were  left  at  To-ko-na-bi.  The 
Puma,  the  Sand,  and  the  Horn  people  started  together  to  travel  south- 
ward, but  after  a  time  the  Horn  people  separated,  and  we  did  not  meet 
again  till  after  we  came  to  these  valleys  where  we  now  dwell.  Ti-yo's 
younger  brother  went  with  the  Horn  people,  and  taught  these  mysteries 
to  the  chief  of  the  Blue  Flute  family  of  the  Horn  people.  This  is  the 
reason  why  I  go  in  front  one  year,  and  the  chief  of  the  Flute  sits  back, 
and  the  next  year  he  goes  before  and  I  sit  behind ;  but  our  songs  and 
prayers  have  both  the  same  intent. 

While  we  were  living  at  Wti-ko-ki,1  one  of  the  Tca-md-hia2  dwelt 
with  us,  and  then  he  left  us  and  traveled  far  to  the  southeast,  looking  for 
other  people  that  he  knew  were  coming  from  the  under-world.  When 
he  reached  So-tcap'-tu-kwi  (a  place  near  Santa  Fe),  he  met  Pu-ii-kon- 
Jio-yaf  to  whom  he  told  his  object.  Pii'-u-kon-ho-ya  said  he  could 
find  those  people,  and  fitting  in  his  bow  and  arrow,  fletched  with  the 
wings  of  the  bluebird,  he  shot  it  in  the  sky,  and  it  came  down  far  in 
the  northeast,  at  a  si-pa-pu,  up  which  people  were  still  climbing.  They 
looked  at  the  arrow,  and  said,  "  There  must  be  other  people  here 
already ;  "  and  the  arrow  spoke  to  them  and  told  its  message ;  then 
they  said,  "We  will  travel  to  the  southwest,  and  may  Tca-md-hia  come 
and  meet  us."  On  this  the  arrow  flew  back  to  its  sender,  and  told  of 

1  Great -house,    a    ruin    appropriately  the  under-world,  where  they  occupied   a 
named,  on  a  small  stream  about  fifty  miles  similar  position  in  the  Snake- Antelope  kiva 
west  from  Wal'-pi.     A  considerable  por-  there.     They  seem  to  be  regarded  as  the 
tion  of  the  walls  is  still  intact.  relics  of  a  people  still  earlier  than  those  of 

2  This  mystic  name  is  also  applied  to  the  under-world  visited  by  Ti-yo. 

the  fine  old  celts  displayed  on  the  present  8  One  of  the  mythic  twins,  grandsons 
Snake-Antelope  pott -y a.  They  are  said  to  of  Spider-woman.  They  carry  a  magical 
be  the  very  objects  brought  by  Ti-yo  from  bow  and  arrow. 


118  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

these  people,  and  Tcd-ma~hia  traveled  westward  to  meet  them.  When 
he  got  to  the  great  rock  where  Acoma  now  is,  he  climbed  up  and 
found  the  great  ladle-shaped  cavities  on  its  summit  filled  with  rain- 
water, and  he  named  it  the  place  of  the  ladle,  A'-ko-ky-abi.  Here  he 
rested,  and  the  people  he  was  looking  for  joined  him  there,  and  at  that 
place  they  have  ever  since  remained. 

After  my  people  left  Wu-ko-ki,  they  halted  near  a  little  spring  on 
the  middle  mesa,  and  looking  across  to  where  we  now  live,  they  could 
see  there  were  no  people  in  the  land.  But  at  night  they  saw  a  fire 
moving  back  and  forth  along  the  base  of  this  mesa,  from  the  gap  to 
the  point,  and  they  marveled  greatly  for  a  while,  and  then  they  sent 
Dove  forth  to  discover,  and  he  found  that  it  was  Md-sau-wuh.1  Dove 
saw  the  tracks  of  his  large,  bare  feet,  and  he  followed  them  around  a 
great  circle,  encompassing  Nu-vat'-ikyau-obi  (place  of  snow  peaks,  San 
Francisco  Mountains)  on  the  west ;  Pa-ld-bai-ya  (Red  River,  Colorado 
Chiquito)  on  the  south;  Wu-ko-bai-ya  (Great  river,  Rio  Grande)  on 
the  east,  and  Hop-ko-yi-la-bai-ya  (from  ho-po-ko,  the  northeast,  the 
San  Juan  River)  on  the  north. 

For  a  long  time  they  saw  nothing  but  his  tracks,  and  they  crossed 
over  here  and  built  their  village  on  the  foothills  at  the  point  of  this 
mesa  where  you  can  yet  see  where  the  houses  stood,  and  they  called  it 
Wal'-pi,  the  place  near  the  gap,  and  after  a  time  the  younger  men  with 
their  families  built  another  village  out  in  the  valley,  and  you  can  yet 
see  traces  of  it  also.  One  day  the  Wal'-pi  chief  called  all  his  bravest 
men  to  go  with  him  and  try  to  find  Md-sau-wuh,  and  they  met  him 
about  half  way  to  the  middle  mesa.  He  was  hideous  and  terrible,  with 
shreds  of  flesh  and  clots  of  blood  upon  his  head,  but  our  chief  was 
brave,  and  went  and  embraced  him  tightly  in  his  arms.  Then  said  the 
deity,  "  I  see  you  are  strong  of  heart ;  I  designed  to  kill  you  all  if 
your  hearts  had  been  weak  ;  now  I  am  satisfied."  They  all  sat  down, 
and  Md-sau-wuh  took  off  his  mask  and  sat  upon  it,  and  as  he  produced 
his  large  pipe,  they  all  saw  that  he  had  become  a  handsome  youth,  and 
the  pipe  was  passed  around  till  all  had  smoked.  Then  he  said :  "  I 
also  am  large  of  heart ;  all  this  land  is  mine,  and  all  that  lies  within  the 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL  119 

limits  of  my  footprints  is  yours,  for  you  have  won  it  because  you 
met  me  and  were  not  afraid.  My  house  is  there  (pointing  to  a  rocky 
spot  close  to  the  west  side  of  the  mesa),  and  there  you  must  place  the 
pd-ho"  .  .  .  "  The  uncle  of  my  uncles  spoke  with  one  tongue/'  con- 
tinued the  narrator,  "  and  this  is  the  story  he  told." 

INTERPRETATION    OF    THE    MYTH. 

One  naturally  looks  to  the  legend  of  the  Antelope  priest  for  an  in- 
terpretation of  the  different  events  which  are  performed  in  the  ceremo- 
nies ;  for  among  Indians,  as  among  all  primitive  peoples,  there  is  an 
intimate  connection  between  the  two.  Our  studies  of  the  legend  of 
Ti-yo  which  we  have  given  do  not  afford  us  the  greatest  satisfaction 
in  the  interpretation,  although  they  shed  light  on  the  dramatization 
and  certain  other  episodes.  We  see,  as  it  were,  only  the  crudest  out- 
lines, and  only  partial  explanations  of  the  ritual,  and  it  is  probably  im- 
possible for  us  to  arrive  at  the  true  explanation  from  a  study  of  the 
story  alone.  There  are  many  evidences  of  later  invention,  of  incorpo- 
ration, and  of  individual  explanations.  I  am  not  sanguine  that  the 
true  explanation  of  the  Snake  Dance  can  be  obtained  from  the  Indians 
themselves,  and  if  my  want  of  faith  is  well  grounded,  this  fact  is  with- 
out doubt  of  greatest  importance.  It  seems  probable  that  the  Snake 
Dance  is  a  ceremony  for  rain,  and  since  its  beginning  to  its  close, 
wherever  we  turn,  there  appear  elements  which  point  to  this  conclusion. 
When  we  come  to  a  broader  comparison  with  other  rain-making  cere- 
monials, we  cannot  remain  in  doubt  that  the  Snake  Dance  is  primarily 
of  the  same  nature. 

There  are  many  important  considerations  which  we  must  bear  in 
mind  in  the  consideration  of  this  subject.  Throughout  all  the  Hopi 
ceremonies  there  appears  evidence  of  a  unity  in  certain  characters.  If, 
for  instance,  we  compare  the  Snake  Dance  with  the  Flute  ceremony, 
we  find  the  number  of  days  of  the  celebration  to  be  the  same,  we  find 
the  Snake  boy  and  Snake  girl  introduced,  and  the  ceremonies  about 
the  spring  in  the  two  are  almost  identical.  The  encircling  runs  made 
by  the  courier  are  the  same,  and  the  pd-ho(s)  are  similar. 


120  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPI. 

It  was  once  thought  that  we  had  in  these  ceremonials  a  modified  form 
of  some  primitive  earlier  celebration  simpler  than  either,  and  that  the 
same  idea  had  been  developed  on  different  lines  of  evolution,  due  to 
migrations  or  other  causes.  We  cannot  regard  one  as  the  modification 
of  the  other,  but  both  as  a  development  of  some  aboriginal  primitive 
ceremony,  which  has  left  its  mark  on  the  common  features  which  show 
survivals  of  that  simpler  observance.  It  is  but  natural  to  suppose  that 
in  the  separation  of  clans  or  peoples,  and  isolation  for  a  considerable 
time,  modifications  should  grow  in  such  a  way  as  to  obscure  origi- 
nal meanings,  and  change  ceremonials  once  identical.  When  a  legend 
was  preserved,  the  modifications  of  the  story  would  suffer  the  same 
change. 

Let  us  consider  what  might  take  place  in  two  peoples  living  apart, 
but  preserving  the  germ  of  a  rain  ceremony.  In  a  most  interesting 
book,  called  "  The  Golden  Bow,"  Mr.  Frazer  has  shown  how  widely 
different  are  the  modifications  of  the  midsummer  rites  throughout  Eu- 
rope. Portions  of  these  observances  are  preserved  among  one  people, 
and  portions  among  others.  The  modifications  which  the  original  has 
gone  through  are  almost  radical  in  their  nature. 

In  one  place,  for  instance,  we  have  the  May  tree  introduced  as  a 
symbol  of  the  wood-god ;  in  another,  an  image  of  the  god ;  and  in 
still  a  third  we  have  a  man  personifying  the  wood-god.  Here  the 
tree  is  burned  at  the  close  of  the  festival ;  there  we  have  images  of 
the  tree-god  thrown  into  the  flames,  and  so  we  might  go  on  mention- 
ing a  large  number  of  modifications,  but  in  all  cases  they  appear  to 
be  variants  of  one  primitive  idea.  The  germ  of  the  whole  is  tree  wor- 
ship, or  the  embodiment  of  the  return  of  life  in  the  springtime. 

Two  theories  have  arisen  as  to  the  origin  of  those  similarities.  Either 
that  there  was  a  connection  in  some  remote  time  between  the  people 
who  practiced  them,  or  that  they  arose  independently  among  differ- 
ent peoples.  Whichever  theory  we  accept  we  are  not  prevented  from 
finding  in  this  midsummer  ceremonial  a  parallel  with  others  celebrated 
at  the  same  time. 

Passing,  then,  to  these  village  tribes  and  using  the  same  methods  as 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  121 

those  adopted  by  Frazer,  we  can  reconstruct  the  primitive  ceremony 
which  has  become  modified.  It  is  not  necessary  to  show  the  details  of 
ceremonials  identical  in  order  to  show  that  they  are  the  same.  If  the 
main  facts  correspond,  we  are  justified  in  using  them  for  what  they 
are  worth.  In  the  olden  times,  when  the  different  peoples  who  now 
speak  the  Tusayan  language  lived  together,  they  probably  celebrated 
a  midsummer  ceremony  of  much  simpler  form  than  what  is  now  prac- 
ticed. A  people  leaving  the  ancestral  home  would  take  with  them 
their  version  of  the  myth  connected  with  the  ceremony.  If  it  were 
the  Flute  assemblage,  necessarily  the  Flute  would  figure  most  promi- 
nently. Accretions  from  generation  to  generation  would  creep  in,  and 
there  is  reason  to  believe  that  these  modifications  would  be  regarded 
as  most  important.  Another  people  in  its  separation  from  the  primi- 
tive home  might  be  the  Snake  or  Antelope  assembly.  With  them  the 
snake  would  be  all-important,  and  the  line  of  evolution  which  their 
story  followed  would  be  very  different  from  that  of  the  Flute. 

As  a  consequence,  one  would  hardly  expect  that  the  ceremonies  per- 
formed would  be  identical,  but  the  germ  would  remain  the  same,  or 
that  we  should  have  as  a  result  the  same  ceremony  under  different  mod- 
ifications. Precisely  this  is  what  has  happened.  Then,  too,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  present  Tusayan  villages  are  formed  by  the 
aggregation  of  several  groups  or  clans  of  people.  It  is  historically 
known  that  such  is  the  fact.  In  this  bringing  together  of  different 
peoples,  each  with  its  modifications  of  the  original  story  and  ceremonial 
rite,  complication  would  be  very  much  increased,  and  the  difficulties  of 
comparisons  with  those  of  other  villages,  formed  by  a  like  consolidation, 
magnified  manifold. 

In  order  to  determine  how  far  the  ceremonial  rites  connected  with 
the  same  observance  may  vary  in  different  places,  I  have  studied  one 
of  them  in  three  of  the  Tusayan  villages,  separated  by  only  seven 
miles.  In  the  Farewell  Ka-tci-na?  we  find  that  the  altars,  although 
presenting  a  uniformity  in  the  main  idea,  are  in  the  details  very  dif- 
ferent. The  public  dances  of  the  same  vary  very  considerably,  yet 
1  See  vol.  ii.,  No.  1,  of  this  Journal. 


122  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPI. 

the  priests  strongly  insist  that  the  celebration  is  identical.  If  such 
changes  as  these  result  in  villages  where  there  is  more  or  less  intermar- 
riage and  a  close  religious  sympathy,  what  would  be  the  result  in  iso- 
lated pueblos,  more  or  less  hostile  to  each  other,  through  a  long  series 
of  years  ?  It  is  a  mistaken  idea  to  suppose  that  conservatism  is  the 
only  fundamental  principle  of  Indian  ceremonials. 

We  may  reasonably  conclude  that  from  time  to  time  new  events  in 
the  performance  of  rites  are  introduced,  and  this  increase  from  year 
to  year  would  at  last  make  a  great  variation  in  the  character  of  the 
ceremonials.  Comparing,  therefore,  the  Snake  Dance  with  the  Flute 
ceremonial,  we  may  suppose  that  originally  the  priests  of  both  had  the 
same  primitive  celebration,  and  those  traces  of  identity  which  are  ap- 
parent can  really  be  best  interpreted  by  referring  them  to  the  original 
from  which  they  started.  Probably  the  best  addition  which  could  be 
made  to  our  knowledge  of  the  identity  of  two  such  dissimilar  ceremo- 
nies as  the  Snake  and  Flute,  could  be  obtained  by  a  study  of  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  chiefs  of  each  fraternity. 

The  story  of  the  Snake  hero  is  comparatively  well  known,  and  Mrs. 
Stevenson  has  lately  published  the  legend  of  the  Flute  fraternity.  As 
this  fraternity  exists  in  several  of  the  pueblos,  there  is  a  possibility  of 
obtaining  variants  of  the  Flute  myth.  An  interesting  point  of  like- 
ness in  the  two  celebrations  is  the  existence  in  both  of  the  Snake  girl. 
The  Snake  girl  is  clothed  exactly  alike  in  both  ceremonials,  so  that  in 
fact  this  person  in  the  Snake  ceremony  could  be  substituted  for  one  of 
the  two  girls  in  the  Flute  observance  without  making  any  change  in 
her  decoration,  the  style  of  her  blankets,  or  other  paraphernalia. 
The  Snake  boy  is  also  painted  the  same  in  both  ceremonies. 

In  the  course  of  the  ceremony  of  the  Flute,  as  will  be  seen  by  con- 
sulting my  article  on  the  Flute  observance,  these  two  girls  and  boy 
cast  offerings  upon  symbolic  figures  of  the  clouds.  These  offerings 
were  identical  with  those  which  were  placed  by  the  Antelope  chief  upon 
the  head  of  the  male  and  female  lightning  figures  of  the  sand  picture 
during  the  Snake  Dance. 

In  the  race  which  took  place  on  the  morning  of  the  Flute  celebra- 


THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT    WALPL  123 

tion,  the  person  who  stood  at  the  goal  was  not  only  painted  and 
adorned  as  a  Snake  priest,  but  wore  the  Snake  kilt,  upon  which  is  de- 
picted the  figure  of  the  great  plumed  serpent.  Possibly  this  was  a 
coincidence,  but  certainly  a  most  interesting  one  when  taken  into  con- 
sideration with  other  resemblances.  The  ceremonies  at  the  spring 
Ta-wa-pa  in  the  Snake  Dance  are  not  as  elaborate  as  those  performed 
on  the  final  day  of  the  Flute  observance  at  the  same  place,  although 
a  vein  of  similarity  runs  through  them  both. 

In  the  celebration  of  the  Flute  at  Ci-pau-lo-vi,  two  houses  take  part, 
the  Blue  Flute  and  the  Variegated  Flute.  At  Wal'-pi,  however,  one  of 
these  houses  is  extinct,  so  that  at  present  the  Flute  celebration  is  con- 
fined to  the  remaining  house.  The  Snake  Dance  is  also  celebrated  by 
two  fraternities,  the  Antelopes  and  the  Snakes.  One  of  the  Flute 
houses  at  Ci-paii-lo-vi  is  subordinate  to  the  other,  just  as  in  the  Snake 
Dance  the  Snake  priests  are  inferior  to  the  Antelopes.  The  nd-tci(s) 
used  by  the  Flute  fraternity  have  many  likenesses  with  those  belonging 
to  the  Snake-Antelopes. 

Without  following  the  story  of  Wi-ki  too  closely,  it  may  be  conjec- 
tured that  the  younger  brother,  who  married  one  of  the  Tcii-a-ma-na, 
was  the  chief  of  the  Flute  assembly  of  the  Horn  people  when  they 
separated  from  the  Snake  fraternity  at  To-ko-na-bi.  The  reunion  of 
these  two  peoples  at  Wal'-pi  is  dramatized  in  the  Flute  ceremony,  a  fact 
which  lends  new  interest  to  the  comparison  we  have  drawn  between  the 
Snake  and  the  Flute  observances. 

The  descriptions  of  the  many  and  complicated  rites  which  fill  this 
volume  would  be  incomplete  if  some  attempt  were  not  made  to  inter- 
pret the  meaning  of  the  Snake  Dance. 

No  component  element  has  done  more  to  obscure  the  original  mean- 
ing than  the  weird  ceremonies  connected  with  the  handling  of  the  rep- 
tiles, which  naturally  have  a  strong  fascination  for  the  primitive  as 
well  as  the  civilized  mind.  The  dramatization  of  a  half-mythic,  half- 
historic  legend  regarding  the  origin  and  migration  of  the  fraternities 
that  celebrate  it  also  tends  to  turn  the  mind  to  other  explanations. 

The  prominence  given  to  the  reptiles  during  this  presentation  has 


121  THE  SNAKE   CEREMONIALS  AT   WALPL 

led  some  other  observers  to  regard  it  as  an  example  of  snake  worship, 
but  from  what  could  be  learned  from  the  priests  as  well  as  comparative 
studies,  a  somewhat  different  conclusion  seems  probable. 

The  Snake  Dance  is  an  elaborate  prayer  for  rain,  in  which  the  rep- 
tiles are  gathered  from  the  fields,  intrusted  with  the  prayers  of  the 
people,  and  then  given  their  liberty  to  bear  these  petitions  to  the 
divinities  who  can  bring  the  blessing  of  copious  rains  to  the  parched 
and  arid  farms  of  the  Hopi. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY.1 

ALLEN,  W.  F.  The  Dial.  Chicago,  vol.  v.,  No.  57,  January,  1885.  Captain  Bourke's 
Narrative  of  the  Moqui  Indians.  (Book  review.) 

BANDELIER,  A.  F.  Final  Report  of  Investigations  among  the  Indians  of  the  South- 
western United  States.  Amer.  Ser.  of  Archaeological  Institute,  Part  I.,  p.  149. 
Part  II.,  p.  277  (Pictograph  at  Aho,  possibly  record  of  the  Snake  Dance  in  former 
times.  (Reference  to  Espejo's  mention  of  Acoma  Snake  Dance.) 

BOURKE,  JOHN  G.  The  Snake  Dance  of  the  Moquis  of  Arizona.  New  York,  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons.  London,  S.  Low.  1884.  (Account  of  last  two  days  of  ceremony 
with  plates  (colored)  and  cuts  ;  valuable.) 

DONALDSON,  THOMAS.  Extra  Census  Bulletin.  Moqui  Indians  of  Arizona  and  Pueblo 
Indians  of  New  Mexico.  Washington,  1893.  (Untrustworthy  in  regard  to  the 
Hopi  Snake  Dance,  and  full  of  inaccuracies  about  the  Pueblos.) 

EDWARDY,  W.  M.  Snake  Dance  of  the  Moki  Indians.  Harper's  "Weekly,  Novem- 
ber 2,  1889.  (Full  page  illustration  of  the  dance.) 

ESPEJO,  ANTONIO  DE.  Relacion  y  Expediente,  p.  180.  (Dance  at  Acoma  in  1582, 
" con  vivoras  vivas") 

FEWKES,  J.  WALTER.  Report  of  a  Lecture  on  the  Snake  Dance.  Salem  News.  1892. 
A  Suggestion  as  to  the  Meaning  of  the  Moki  Snake  Dance.  Journal  of  American 
Folk-Lore,  vol.  iv.,  No.  13.  See  also  Journal  of  American  Ethnology  and  Archae- 
ology, vol.  ii.  (Relation  of  Snake  Dance  to  Flute  Ceremony.) 
A  Central  American  ceremony  which  suggests  the  Snake  Dance  of  the  Tusayan  vil- 
lagers. (Comparison  with  Sahagun's  Atamalqualiztli.)  Amer.  Anthro.  vol.  vi.,  No.  3. 

KEAM,  T.  V.     An  Indian  Snake  Dance.     Chambers's  Journal,  pp.  14-16.     1883. 

LUMMIS,  CHARLES  F.  St.  Nicholas,  April,  1892.  Some  Strange  Corners  of  our  Coun- 
try. Century  Co.,  1892.  (With  figures  of  dance.) 

1  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  F.  W.  Hodge,  directed  to  obtain  the  bibliography  of  the 
of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  for  several  Snake  Ceremonials  in  1891  and  1893,  the 
references.  Especial  attention  has  been  two  presentations  considered  in  this  article. 


THE  SNAKE  CEREMONIALS  AT  WALPL        125 

MATTHEWS,  W.,  for  STEPHEN,  A.  M.  Legend  of  the  Snake  Order  of  the  Moquis  as 
told  by  Outsiders.  Journal  of  American  Folk-Lore,  vol.  i.  pp.  109-114.  1888. 

MINDELEFF,  COSMOS.  An  Indian  Dance.  Science,  vol.  vii.,  No.  174.  (Important 
account  of  the  Snake  Dance  at  Mi-con'-in-o-vi.) 

An  Indian  Snake  Dance.     Science,  vol.  viii.,  No.  178.     (Important  discussion  of 
antidote  used.) 

MORAN.     See  Donaldson  and  Bourke. 

POWELL,  J.  W.  Seventh  Annual  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1891.  (Con- 
tains on  pp.  xxv.-xxix.  account  of  the  field  studies  of  Messrs.  Mindeleffs  and  Dr.  H. 
C.  Yarrow.) 

SCOTT,  JULIAN.  Eeport  on  the  Snake  Dance  of  August  21,  1891.  Moqui  Pueblo 
Indians  of  Arizona  and  Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico.  Extra  Census  Bulletin, 
pp.  71-74.  1893. 

Danced  with  Living  Snakes.    The  New  York  Mail  and  Express,  September  2, 1893. 
Praying  for  a  Rain  Storm.     New  York  Mail  and  Express,  August  19,  1893. 

SHUFELDT,  R.  W.  Snake  Dance  of  the  Mokis.  The  Great  Divide.  October,  1891. 
(Whittick's  valuable  photographs  reproduced.) 

STEPHEN,  A.  M.,  and  MESSENGER,  H.  J.    The  Snake  Dance.    The  New  York  World, 
September  8,  1889.     (This  and  the  following  account  valuable.) 
The  Mokis'  Snake  Dance.     New  York  World,  August  27,  1889. 

STEVENSON,  M.  C.     (Legend  of  Snake  and  Flute.)     Proc.  Amer.  Association,  1892. 

TYLOR,  E.  B.  Snake  Dances,  Moqui  and  Greek.  "  Athens,  like  a  Moqui  village,  was 
accustomed  to  the  spectacle  of  dancers  waving  snakes  in  the  midday  streets."  Sat- 
urday Review.  October  18,  1884.  (Review  of  Bourke's  Snake  Dance.) 

ANONYMOUS. 

Snake  Charmers  of  Central  America.  Harper's  Weekly,  March  15,  1882.  (Written 
from  a  full-page  figure  by  Ferenzy ;  refers  to  Moki  Snake  Dance  in  comparative 
way.) 

The  Snake  Dance.     San  Francisco  Chronicle,  August  6,  1891. 

Chicago  Sunday  Herald,  September  13,  1891. 

Chicago  Evening  News,  September  22,  1891. 

The  Literary  World,  Boston,  Mass.,  vol.  xvi.,  April  18,  1885.  The  Snake  Dance  of 
the  Mokis  of  Arizona.  (A  review  of  Bourke's  Snake  Dance  of  the  Moquis  of  Ari- 
zona.) 

The  Five  Moki  Chiefs.     Washington  Post,  June  28,  1890. 

To  appease  the  Indian  God.  Peculiar  practices  seen  at  the  Moki  Snake  Dance.  San 
Francisco  Examiner,  August  28,  1891.  (Three  cuts,  one  of  the  dance.) 

The  Moqui  Snake  Dance.  Chicago  News,  September  22,  1891.  (Three  cuts,  one  of 
the  dance.) 


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